peer
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to look narrowly or searchingly, as in the effort to discern clearly.
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to peep out or appear slightly.
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to come into view.
noun
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peers
plural
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a person of the same legal status.
a jury of one's peers.
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a person who is equal to another in abilities, qualifications, age, background, and social status.
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something of equal worth or quality.
a skyscraper without peer.
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a nobleman.
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a member of any of the five degrees of the nobility in Great Britain and Ireland (duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron).
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Computers.
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a network connected to one or more other networks in a way that routes traffic independently between them in a direct exchange of data.
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a computer or device that is connected to others in a network, either directly or through a server.
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Archaic. a companion.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a member of a nobility; nobleman
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a person who holds any of the five grades of the British nobility: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron See also life peer
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a person who is an equal in social standing, rank, age, etc
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( as modifier )
peer pressure
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archaic a companion; mate
verb
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to look intently with or as if with difficulty
to peer into the distance
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to appear partially or dimly
the sun peered through the fog
Synonym Usage
See peep 1.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of peer1
First recorded in 1560–70; perhaps a variant of appear
Origin of peer2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English per, from Old French per, from Latin pār “equal, an equal, partner”
Explanation
A peer is someone at your own level. If you are a 10th grader, other high school students are your peers. Peer comes from the Latin par which means equal. When you are on par with someone, you are their peer. If kids your age are pressuring you to do something you don't want to do, that's peer pressure. In the sport of basketball, Michael Jordan was without peer, no one could equal his talent. When he switched to baseball, he found himself to be among peers again.
Vocabulary lists containing peer
Two-Faced Words: Contronyms
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"Of Mice and Men"
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"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Thick, red curtains adorned the “window,” which the man used to peer outside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Micron stock shouldn't face any real concern over the investment plans of its memory-chip peer SK Hynix.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
She is the founder of At Large Agency and co-founder of The Chain, a peer support community for women in the media, fashion, and entertainment industries with eating disorders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Sentiment towards the memory chip makers was dented Wednesday by weaker-than-expected guidance from U.S. peer Sandisk.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Jonathan turned his head enough to peer out; he saw the redwood branches quivering from the impact.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
The regulatory action against Futu and its peers is just one element of an effort by Beijing to reshape the landscape for China’s superwealthy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
“The risk longer-term for peers is that Apollo transforms easyJet into a more competitive airline in terms of product, cost base and in particular segments like corporate traffic or package holidays,” they add.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
The earnings "uplift appears less pronounced than peers", RBC bank analysts wrote in a note.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
Gakpo ranks in the 96th percentile for aerial volume compared with positional peers across Europe's top five leagues, meaning only about 4% of wingers contest aerial balls at a higher rate.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Bailey peers at a nearby rose, and while it is cold and frozen and white, there is the barest hint of scent as he leans closer.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
