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• -eur
  -eur

  a suffix occurring in loanwords from French, usually agent nouns formed from verbs (entrepreneur; voyeur ), less commonly adjectives (agent provocateur ).
• Eur.
  Eur.

  abbreviation

  Europe.
• eur-
  eur-

  combining form

  a variant of euro-

-eur

¹ American  

1. a suffix occurring in loanwords from French, usually agent nouns formed from verbs (entrepreneur; voyeur ), less commonly adjectives (agent provocateur ).

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Eur. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Europe.

2. European.

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eur- British  

combining form

1. a variant of euro-

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Usage

What does -eur mean? The form -eur is a suffix that marks an agent noun or, occasionally, an adjective in loanwords from French. Agent nouns are nouns that indicate a person who does an action. Broadly speaking, then, -eur means "doer." The suffix -eur is relatively common in both everyday and technical terms. The suffix -eur ultimately comes from the Latin -or or -ator, which was used to indicate agent nouns. An equivalent of -eur in words from English is the suffix -er, as in singer (someone who sings). What are variants of -eur?When agent nouns ending in -eur are used to refer to a feminine-gendered element, -eur becomes -euse, as in chanteuse (a female singer). Although -eur is a masculine-gendered ending for agent nouns, it is often (though not always) preferred over -euse as the default in English, regardless of the subject’s gender. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use -euse article.

Etymology

Origin of -eur

< French; Old French -o ( u ) r < Latin -ōr- -or ² and -eo ( u ) r < Latin -ātōr- -ator; see -tor

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

-eur Eur.

In certain abstract nouns from L. -or, Fr. -eur is still represented by -our, as colour, labour, honour, and in a few cases directly retained, as in grandeur.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

The latter ending, corresponding to Modern Fr. -eur, represents Lat. -or, -orem, but we tack it onto English words as in "sailor," or substitute it for -er, -ier, as in Fermor, for Farmer, Fr. fermier.

From The Romance of Names by Ernest Weekley

In the same way we replace the Fr. -our, -eur by -er, as in Turner, Fr. tourneur, Ginner, Jenner for Jenoure.

From The Romance of Names by Ernest Weekley

Like the corresponding French nouns in -eur, these nouns in -aire, as well as those in -èire, are also used as adjectives. -aire = -arium.

From Frédéric Mistral Poet and Leader in Provence by Charles Alfred Downer

Eur. denotes that the Australian bird is closely similar in form, habits, &c., to the corresponding European bird. =vt. cos. denotes that it is the equivalent or representative of a cosmopolitan group of birds.

From An Australian Bird Book A Pocket Book for Field Use by John Albert Leach