Slavic Linguistics. either of two letters (ъ, ь) of the Cyrillic alphabet used, as in Old Church Slavonic, to indicate two short vowels, or, as in Russian, to indicate that the preceding consonant is hard or soft.
either of the short, lax vowels of Old Church Slavonic represented by these signs, front jer (ъ, usually transcribed asĭ ) and back jer (ь, usually transcribed asŭ ).
Bible. Jeremiah.
Jersey.
First recorded in 1755–65
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A. I been livin' here jer years, 'n' I ain't seen it go no place.
From Time Magazine Archive
Unde Dap’s reaction was to give his pupil a lecture, as they stood in the mews with the chastened jer.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
The bells had been brought from the Indies, regardless of expense, and the pair worn by the jer were made of silver.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
The jer had a snow-white leash and jesses cut from guaranteed unicom skin, as a tribute to her station in life.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Bindle scratched his head through his cap, then, turning towards the tent into which Mrs. Bindle had once more disappeared, he called out: "Hi, Lizzie, jer know 'ow to milk a cow?"
From Mrs. Bindle Some Incidents from the Domestic Life of the Bindles by Jenkins, Hebert
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.
