e'er

¹ American  

[air] / ɛər /

adverb

Chiefly Literary.

1. contraction of ever.

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EER ² American  

abbreviation

1. energy efficiency ratio.

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-eer ³ American  

1. a noun-forming suffix occurring originally in loanwords from French (buccaneer; mutineer; pioneer ) and productive in the formation of English nouns denoting persons who produce, handle, or are otherwise significantly associated with the referent of the base word (auctioneer; engineer; mountaineer; pamphleteer ); now frequently pejorative (profiteer; racketeer ).

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-eer ¹ British  

suffix

1. (forming nouns) indicating a person who is concerned with or who does something specified

   auctioneer

   engineer

   profiteer

   mutineer

2. (forming verbs) to be concerned with something specified

   electioneer

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e'er ² British  

/ ɛə /

adverb

1. poetic  a contraction of ever

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Usage

What does -eer mean? The suffix -eer is used to denote nouns, and specifically nouns denoting people who produce, handle, or are otherwise associated with the first element of the word. It is often used in everyday and technical terms.The form -eer comes from Middle French -ier, a suffix denoting personal nouns, which comes from Latin -ārius, with the same sense. To learn more, check out our entry for the suffix -ary.What are variants of -eer?While not a variant of -eer per se, -eer is related to the suffix -aire, also from French, which denotes a person characterized or occupied by the stem, as in millionaire.

Etymology

Origin of -eer

< French, Middle French -ier ( Old French < Latin -ārius -ary as suffix of personal nouns); in some nouns replacing earlier suffixes ( engineer, charioteer ) or the French suffix -aire -aire ( musketeer, volunteer )

Example Sentences

The quotation taken from the book for the OED is: "Where that cosmetic … Shall e'er revirginize that brow's abuse."

From The Guardian

The poet James Thomson lauded their different styles – "What e'er Lorrain light-touched with softening hue, / Or savage Rosa dashed, or learned Poussin drew" – and their effect on British painters was profound.

From The Guardian

The goat was as well as e'er a goat ever was, for a month after she was sent to Killaan to your father's.

From Project Gutenberg

But Lufra,—whom from Douglas' side Nor bribe nor threat could e'er divide, The fleetest hound in all the North,— Brave Lufra saw and darted forth.

From Project Gutenberg

So, then, I asked him again if he had seen e'er a set of gipsies in that direction; upon which he asked why, and I told him outright.

From Project Gutenberg