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• palmer
  palmer

  noun

  a pilgrim, especially of the Middle Ages, who had returned from the Holy Land bearing a palm branch as a token.
• Palmer
  Palmer

  noun

  Alice Elvira, 1855–1902, U.S. educator.

palmer

¹ American  

[pah-mer, pahl-] / ˈpɑ mər, ˈpɑl- /

noun

1. a pilgrim, especially of the Middle Ages, who had returned from the Holy Land bearing a palm branch as a token.

2. any religious pilgrim.

3. palmerworm.

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verb (used without object)

1. Scot. and North England. to wander; go idly from place to place.

palmer ² American  

[pah-mer] / ˈpɑ mər /

noun

1. a person who palms a card, die, or other object, as in cheating at a game or performing a magic trick.

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Palmer ³ American  

[pah-mer, pahl-] / ˈpɑ mər, ˈpɑl- /

noun

1. Alice Elvira, 1855–1902, U.S. educator.

2. Arnold, 1929–2016, U.S. golfer.

3. Daniel David, 1845–1913, Canadian originator of chiropractic medicine.

4. George Herbert, 1842–1933, U.S. educator, philosopher, and author.

5. James Alvin Jim, born 1945, U.S. baseball player.

6. a town in southern Massachusetts.

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palmer ¹ British  

/ ˈpɑːmə /

noun

1. (in Medieval Europe) a pilgrim bearing a palm branch as a sign of his visit to the Holy Land

2. (in Medieval Europe) an itinerant monk

3. (in Medieval Europe) any pilgrim

4. any of various artificial angling flies characterized by hackles around the length of the body

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Palmer ² British  

/ ˈpɑːmə /

noun

1. Arnold. born 1929, US professional golfer: winner of seven major championships, including four in the US Masters (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964) and two in the British Open (1961,1962)

2. Samuel. 1805–81, English painter of visionary landscapes, influenced by William Blake

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Etymology

Origin of palmer¹

1250–1300; Middle English palmer ( e ) < Anglo-French palmer, Old French palmier < Medieval Latin palmārius, special use of Latin palmārius palmary

Origin of palmer²

First recorded in 1665–75; palm ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

palmer Palmer

Heavy use of longstanding herbicides, like glyphosate, the main ingredient in Bayer’s Roundup, has contributed to resistance developing among weeds such as waterhemp and palmer amaranth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

Sloane fitted a palmer on over one armored glove, with the bowl shape facing outward, then gripped a handhold in the passthrough wall.

From The Verge ● Sep. 13, 2018

Another palmer was still in the shielded compartment, but Adda’s aim wasn’t much better than Pel’s.

From The Verge ● Sep. 13, 2018

I think of a palmer as a pilgrim, bringing a palm from the Holy Land.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 2, 2015

After the palmer perhaps there would have prowled a rather more sinister figure: one of those who “sleep by day and watch by night, eat well and drink well, but possess nothing.”

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Palmer recalls one play, in the CIF semifinals against Orange Lutheran, when he put Mosley at the point of attack to block and he drove one defender into two others, “single-handedly blocking three guys.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

It was the first time Joao Pedro has won the award as he finished ahead of team-mate Cole Palmer, who was Chelsea's previous recipient in September 2024.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

Palmer compared him to former USC wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, who also had a smaller frame but played with surprising power and explosiveness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

The Tigers have defended brilliantly so far, but they are not going to keep out Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Through it all, Attorney General Palmer continued to practice restraint, and soon he paid the price for it.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler