lifer
Americannoun
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a person sentenced to or serving a term of life imprisonment.
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a person committed to a professional lifetime career in the military.
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a person who has devoted a lifetime to a profession, occupation, or pursuit.
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(in birding)
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Also called life bird. a species of bird not seen previously and that will therefore be added to the bird watcher's life list.
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the sighting of a bird of a previously unseen species.
It seems like forever since I've had a lifer!
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noun
Etymology
Origin of lifer
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Martin Lehmann, another lifer at the Zwickau plant, hopes that day never comes.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
He joined the group in 1987 - a 2017 press release announcing his appointment as chairman described him as a "Tata lifer".
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Angelo is a New Jersey lifer who attended Rutgers University.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
If being a head coach in the Stanley Cup playoffs is a dream come true for Smith, a hockey lifer, it may be a bittersweet one.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
The release of Diane Jones, a condemned lifer, gave hope to all of the other lifers at Tutwiler.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
