ers

[urs, airs]

noun

ervil.

Origin of ers

Middle French < Old Provençal < Late Latin ervus, variant of Latin ervum. See ervil

ERS

or E.R.S.

Emergency Radio Service.

-ers

a semantically empty suffix that creates informal variations of more neutral nouns and adjectives by processes of truncation identical to those of -er⁷ (champers; preggers; starkers); unlike that suffix, however, -ers is apparently productive, and words formed with it do not appear to belong to a restricted linguistic register, as university slang.

Origin of -ers

perhaps a conflation of -er⁷ with the final element of bonkers and crackers in the sense “wild, crazy” (unless these words themselves contain this suffix); cf. -s³

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ers

Contemporary Examples of ers

“I think that all you ni**ers need to…check yourselves out,” he said to laughter in his first big applause line of the evening.
When Bill Cosby N-Bombed the Congressional Black Caucus
Asawin Suebsaeng
December 2, 2014
That said, there will be people that defend him—even some of his fellow NFL'ers.
Adrian Peterson’s ‘Whooping’ and Ray Rice’s Knockout Are Both Domestic Violence
Robert Silverman
September 13, 2014
In Rhode Island, amid HIPAA concerns, Glass is being used in ERs with dermatologists.
Google Glass Is Helping Doctors Save Lives. Maybe It’s Time to Reconsider the Poorly Received Technology.
Valerie Vande Panne
March 28, 2014

Historical Examples of ers

Rubb′ers, a disease in sheep, with great heat and itchiness.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)
Various
Ice′-feath′ers, peculiar feather-like forms assumed by ice at the summits of mountains.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)
Various
I ordered three pints, and, while I was 'anding Rupert his, Kumbo finished 'ers and began on mine.
Sailor's Knots (Entire Collection)
W.W. Jacobs
She sent for me and asked if I could find 'er a lady's bicycle, an' Greenaway was very 'appy to lend 'er 'ers, madam.
Berry And Co.
Dornford Yates
Loop′ers, the caterpillars of certain moths, which move by drawing up the hindpart of their body to the head.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)
Various

British Dictionary definitions for ers

ERS

abbreviation for

earnings related supplement

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

ers