peer
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to look narrowly or searchingly, as in the effort to discern clearly.
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to peep out or appear slightly.
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to come into view.
noun
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peers
plural
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a person of the same legal status.
a jury of one's peers.
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a person who is equal to another in abilities, qualifications, age, background, and social status.
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something of equal worth or quality.
a skyscraper without peer.
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a nobleman.
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a member of any of the five degrees of the nobility in Great Britain and Ireland (duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron).
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Computers.
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a network connected to one or more other networks in a way that routes traffic independently between them in a direct exchange of data.
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a computer or device that is connected to others in a network, either directly or through a server.
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Archaic. a companion.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a member of a nobility; nobleman
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a person who holds any of the five grades of the British nobility: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron See also life peer
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a person who is an equal in social standing, rank, age, etc
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( as modifier )
peer pressure
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archaic a companion; mate
verb
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to look intently with or as if with difficulty
to peer into the distance
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to appear partially or dimly
the sun peered through the fog
Synonym Usage
See peep 1.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of peer1
First recorded in 1560–70; perhaps a variant of appear
Origin of peer2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English per, from Old French per, from Latin pār “equal, an equal, partner”
Explanation
A peer is someone at your own level. If you are a 10th grader, other high school students are your peers. Peer comes from the Latin par which means equal. When you are on par with someone, you are their peer. If kids your age are pressuring you to do something you don't want to do, that's peer pressure. In the sport of basketball, Michael Jordan was without peer, no one could equal his talent. When he switched to baseball, he found himself to be among peers again.
Vocabulary lists containing peer
Two-Faced Words: Contronyms
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"Of Mice and Men"
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"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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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.
See Examples For:
Thick, red curtains adorned the “window,” which the man used to peer outside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Micron stock shouldn't face any real concern over the investment plans of its memory-chip peer SK Hynix.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Sentiment towards the memory chip makers was dented Wednesday by weaker-than-expected guidance from U.S. peer Sandisk.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Unlike many peer institutions, the school doesn’t charge incoming students an enrollment deposit—if you say you are coming, they believe you, said Ashley Pallie, Caltech’s dean of undergrad admissions who helped conceive the fraud squad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
“No trick-or-treater has ever been this historically accurate,” Corban said, stepping forward to peer over my shoulder at the map.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
But individuals over the past decade set up trading accounts with Futu and its peers via websites in Hong Kong or in person in the city, according to Chinese state media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Volkswagen Chief Executive Oliver Blume said the automaker has a 20% cost disadvantage to peers in functions supporting its core operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Honeywell Aerospace cut full year 2026 financial guidance while many of its peers are increasing their outlooks.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
The earnings "uplift appears less pronounced than peers", RBC bank analysts wrote in a note.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
He peers at me intently, and even over Zoom, I can tell he understands why I need to do this.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
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.
