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e'er
1[ air ]
EER
2abbreviation for
-eer
3- 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 ). Compare -ary, -er 2, -ier 2.
-eer
1suffix
- forming nouns indicating a person who is concerned with or who does something specified
mutineer
engineer
auctioneer
profiteer
- forming verbs to be concerned with something specified
electioneer
e'er
2/ ɛə /
adverb
- poetic.a contraction of ever
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of e'er1
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Words That Use -eer
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.
Examples of -eer
One example of a word you may be familiar with that uses the suffix -eer is profiteer, “a person who seeks or exacts exorbitant profits, especially through the sale of scarce or rationed goods.”
The word profit- means “returns, proceeds, or revenue.” As we have seen, -eer denotes a person who produces. Profiteer literally translates to “a person who produces revenue.”
What are some words that use the combining form -eer?
- auctioneer
- musketeer
- pamphleteer
- privateer
- racketeer
- volunteer (using the equivalent form of -eer in French)
What are some other forms that -eer may be commonly confused with?
Not every word that ends with the exact letters -eer, such as steer or queer, is necessarily using the suffix -eer to denote a noun. Learn why queer means “gay or lesbian” at our entry for the word.
Break it down!
Given the meaning of the suffix –eer, what does auctioneer mean?
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