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View synonyms for -er

-er

1
  1. a suffix used in forming nouns designating persons from the object of their occupation or labor ( hatter; tiler; tinner; moonshiner ), or from their place of origin or abode ( Icelander; southerner; villager ), or designating either persons or things from some special characteristic or circumstance ( six-footer; three-master; teetotaler; fiver; tenner ).
  2. a suffix serving as the regular English formative of agent nouns, being attached to verbs of any origin ( bearer; creeper; employer; harvester; teacher; theorizer ).


E.R.

2

abbreviation for

  1. King Edward.

-er

3
  1. a noun suffix occurring in loanwords from French in the Middle English period, most often names of occupations ( archer; butcher; butler; carpenter; grocer; mariner; officer ), but also other nouns ( corner; danger; primer ). Some historical instances of this suffix, as in banker or gardener, where the base is a recognizable modern English word, are now indistinguishable from denominal formations with -er1, as miller or potter.

E.R.

4

abbreviation for

  1. Queen Elizabeth.

-er

5
  1. a termination of nouns denoting action or process: dinner; rejoinder; remainder; trover .

E.R.

6

abbreviation for

  1. East Riding (Yorkshire).
  2. East River (New York City).

-er

7
  1. a suffix regularly used in forming the comparative degree of adjectives: harder; smaller .

-er

8
  1. a suffix regularly used in forming the comparative degree of adverbs: faster .

-er

9
  1. a formal element appearing in verbs having frequentative meaning: flicker; flutter; shiver; shudder .

-er

10
  1. a suffix that creates informal or jocular mutations of more neutral words, which are typically clipped to a single syllable if polysyllabic, before application of the suffix, and which sometimes undergo other phonetic alterations: bed-sitter; footer; fresher; rugger . Most words formed thus have been limited to English public-school and university slang; few, if any, have become current in North America, with the exception of soccer, which has also lost its earlier informal character.

er

11

[ uh, er ]

interjection

  1. (used to express or represent a pause, hesitation, uncertainty, etc.)

Er

12
Symbol, Chemistry.
  1. erbium.

ER

13

abbreviation for

  1. Baseball. earned run ( def ).
  2. efficiency report.

-er

1

suffix

  1. forming the comparative degree of adjectives ( deeper, freer, sunnier, etc) and adverbs ( faster, slower, etc)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


er

2

the internet domain name for

  1. Eritrea
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ER

3

abbreviation for

  1. (in the US) Emergency Room (in hospitals)
  2. Elizabeth Regina
  3. Eduardus Rex
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

er

4

/ ə; ɜː /

interjection

  1. a sound made when hesitating in speech
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Er

5

the chemical symbol for

  1. erbium
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

-er

6

suffix forming nouns

  1. a person or thing that performs a specified action

    decanter

    reader

    lighter

  2. a person engaged in a profession, occupation, etc

    bootlegger

    baker

    writer

  3. a native or inhabitant of

    Londoner

    villager

    islander

  4. a person or thing having a certain characteristic

    fiver

    newcomer

    double-decker

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of -er1

Middle English -er(e), a coalescence of Old English -ere agentive suffix (cognate with Old High German -āri, Gothic -areis, from unattested Germanic -arjaz, from unattested Slavic -arĭ, from Latin -ārius ) and Old English -ware suffix forming nouns of ethnic or residential origin (e.g., Rōmware “Romans”), cognate with Old High German -āri, from unattested Germanic -warioz “people”; -ary

Origin of -er2

From New Latin Edwardus Rex

Origin of -er3

Middle English < Anglo-French -er, equivalent to Old French -er, -ier < Latin -ārius, -ārium. -ary, -eer, -ier 2

Origin of -er4

From New Latin Elizabeth Regina

Origin of -er5

< French, originally infinitive suffix -er, -re

Origin of -er6

Middle English -er ( e ), -re, Old English -ra, -re; cognate with German -er

Origin of -er7

Middle English -er ( e ), -re, Old English -or; cognate with Old High German -or, German -er

Origin of -er8

Middle English; Old English -r-; cognate with German - ( e ) r-

Origin of -er9

Probably modeled on nonagentive uses of -er 1; said to have first become current in University College, Oxford, 1875–80
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Word History and Origins

Origin of -er1

Old English -rd, -re (adj), -or (adv)

Origin of -er2

Latin: Queen Elizabeth

Origin of -er3

Old English -ere; related to German -er, Latin -ārius
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Example Sentences

I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and sat in the ER waiting room for what felt like days.

The shift in language and content is click-bait for the enterprising eBay-er.

The EU has said, since Haaretz broke the story, er, well, we have no such plans.

Er, um, because the people dying of Ebola in West Africa are black?

Fame came with ER in the mid-1990s and Clooney's role as heart-throb doctor Doug Ross.

He can't talk much, though; 'tain't good fur him; his lungs is out er kilter.

Thar couldn't nothin' kill her, short er wild beasts, ef she hed ther baby 'n her arms!

The subject is made more embarrassing because of its—er, rather personal nature.

It is true that I was impressed with him in a way, because the man was rather—er, inspiring, and I entertained hopes.

The place he put it in was—er—a little below golf and a little above classical concerts.

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