Leer in Scrabble Dictionary

Valid words made from Leer

You can make 12 words from 'leer' in our Scrabble US and Canada dictionary.

• 4 letters words from 'leer'
• 3 letters words from 'leer'
• 2 letters words from 'leer'

4 letters words from 'leer'

LEER 4	LERE 4
REEL 4

3 letters words from 'leer'

EEL 3	ERE 3
LEE 3	REE 3

2 letters words from 'leer'

EE 2	EL 2
ER 2	RE 2

Definitions and meaning of leer

leer

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /lɪə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /lɪɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(r)

Etymology 1

Exact development uncertain, but apparently from a verb *leer (“to make a face”), from leer (“face”).

Verb

leer (third-person singular simple present leers, present participle leering, simple past and past participle leered)

1. (intransitive) To look sideways or obliquely; now especially with sexual desire or malicious intent.
2. (transitive) To entice with a leer or leers.

Conjugation

Translations

Noun

leer (plural leers)

1. A significant side glance; a glance expressive of some passion, as malignity, amorousness, etc.; a sly or lecherous look.
2. An arch or affected glance or cast of countenance.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English ler, leor (“face, cheek”), from Old English hlēor (“face, cheek, profile”), from Proto-Germanic *hleuzą (“ear, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlews- (“temple of the forehead, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlewe-, *ḱlew- (“to hear”). Cognate with Scots lire, lere (“face, appearance, complexion”), Dutch lier (“cheek”), Swedish lyra (“pout”), Norwegian lia (“hillside”), Icelandic hlýr (“the face, cheek, countenance”). Related to Old English hlyst (“sense of hearing, listening”) and hlysnan (“to listen”). More at list, listen.

Alternative forms

• lyre, lire, lere

Noun

leer (plural leers)

1. (obsolete) The cheek.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Holinshed to this entry?)

2. (obsolete) The face.
3. (obsolete) One's appearance; countenance.
   • c. 1390, William Langland, Piers Plowman, I:

     A loueli ladi of lere · in lynnen yclothed / Come down fram a castel.
4. (obsolete) Complexion; hue; colour.
5. (obsolete) Flesh; skin.
6. (Britain dialectal) The flank or loin.

Etymology 3

From Middle English lere, from Old English ġelǣr, *lǣre (“empty, void, empty-handed”), from Proto-Germanic *lēziz, *lēzijaz (“empty”), from Proto-Indo-European *les- (“to collect, pick”). Cognate with Dutch laar (“a clearing in the woods”), German leer (“empty”). Related to Old English lesan (“to gather, collect”). More at lease.

Alternative forms

• lear

Adjective

leer (comparative more leer, superlative most leer)

2. (obsolete) Empty; unoccupied; clear.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Gifford to this entry?)

3. (obsolete) Destitute; lacking; wanting.
4. (obsolete) Faint from lack of food; hungry.
5. (Britain dialectal, obsolete) Thin; faint.
6. (obsolete) Having no load or burden; free; without a rider.
7. (obsolete) Lacking sense or seriousness; trifling; frivolous.

Derived terms

• leerness

Etymology 4

From Middle English leren, from Old English lǣran (“to teach, instruct, guide, enjoin, advise, persuade, urge, preach, hand down”), from Proto-Germanic *laizijaną (“to teach”), from Proto-Indo-European *leis- (“track, footprint, furrow, trace”). Cognate with Dutch leren (“to teach”), German lehren (“to teach”), Swedish lära (“to teach”). Related to Old English lār (“lore, learning, science, art of teaching, preaching, doctrine, study, precept, exhortation, advice, instigation, history, story, cunning”). See lore.

Verb

leer (third-person singular simple present leers, present participle leering, simple past and past participle leered)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To teach.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To learn.

Etymology 5

See lehr.

Noun

leer (plural leers)

1. Alternative form of lehr

Anagrams

• Erle, LREE, Reel, reel

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Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɪər/

Etymology 1

From Dutch leren, from Middle Dutch lêren, from Old Dutch lēren, from Proto-Germanic *laizijaną.

Verb

leer (present leer, present participle lerende, past participle geleer)

1. To learn.

Etymology 2

From Dutch leer, from Middle Dutch lêre, from Old Dutch lēra, from Proto-Germanic *laizō.

Noun

leer (uncountable)

1. A teaching.

Etymology 3

From Dutch leer, from older leder, from Middle Dutch lēder, from Old Dutch *lether, from Proto-Germanic *leþrą.

Noun

leer (uncountable)

1. leather

Etymology 4

From Dutch leer (dialectal synonym of ladder), from Middle Dutch leer.

Noun

leer (plural lere)

1. A ladder.

Descendants

• → Sotho: lere
• → Xhosa: ileli

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Danish

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eːˀər

Noun

leer c

1. indefinite plural of le

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leːr/
• Hyphenation: leer
• Rhymes: -eːr

Etymology 1

Contraction of leder, from Middle Dutch leder, from Old Dutch *lether, fromProto-Germanic *leþrą.

Noun

leer n (uncountable)

1. Leather.

   Synonym: leder

Derived terms

• kunstleer
• leerdoek
• leertje
• leertouwen

Descendants

• Afrikaans: leer
• Negerhollands: leër, leer

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch lêre, from Old Dutch lēra, from Proto-Germanic *laizō.

Noun

leer f (plural leren, diminutive leertje n)

1. A doctrine.
2. Theory, teachings.
3. A field of learning; set of lessons and theory on a subject within a discipline.

Derived terms

• beleren
• betekenisleer
• dwaalleer
• erfelijkheidsleerleer
• evolutieleer
• geloofsleer
• getallenleer
• leermeester
• leerstelling
• leervast
• notenleer
• rechtsleer
• verzamelingenleer
• vormleer
• warmteleer
• zedenleer

Descendants

• Afrikaans: leer
• Negerhollands: leer

Etymology 3

From Middle Dutch leer, contraction of ledere.

Noun

leer f (plural leren)

1. (dialectal, dated) Alternative form of ladder.

Descendants

• Afrikaans: leer

Etymology 4

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

leer

1. first-person singular present indicative of leren
2. imperative of leren

Anagrams

• lere

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Estonian

Etymology 1

From Middle Low German leger, lager. Etymological twin of laager.

Noun

leer (genitive leeri, partitive leeri)

1. A camp
2. A side (in a conflict)

   Ta on vastaste leeris

   He's on the enemies' side.

Declension

Etymology 2

From Middle Low German lere (“study, learning”).

Noun

leer (genitive leeri, partitive leeri)

1. A (protestant) confirmation into the faithful community.

Declension

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German

Etymology

From Middle High German lēr, lēre, lǣre, from Old High German lāri, from Proto-Germanic *lēziz. Cognate with Dutch laar, English leer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leːɐ̯/
• Homophone: lehr
• Rhymes: -eːɐ̯

Adjective

leer (comparative leerer, superlative am leersten)

1. empty

Declension

Antonyms

• voll
• gefüllt

Derived terms

• leeren
• leerlaufen
• nichtleer
• halb leer

Verb

leer

1. singular imperative of leeren
2. (colloquial) first-person singular present of leeren

Further reading

• “leer” in Duden online

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Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

leer

1. present tense of lee

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Pennsylvania German

Etymology

From Middle High German lǣre, from Old High German lāri. Compare German leer.

Adjective

leer

1. empty

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Romansch

Etymology

From Latin aēr, with the initial 'l' added from a preceding definite article.

Noun

leer m

1. (Sutsilvan) air

Synonyms

• (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran) aria
• (Puter, Vallader) ajer

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin legere, present active infinitive of legō (whence English lesson and legend), from Proto-Italic *legō, from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ-. Compare English legible. The Latin word, besides meaning "to read", also meant "to choose", "to gather", and "to appoint"; thus, English select, coil, elect, college, and collect also stem from the Latin word.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leˈeɾ/, [leˈeɾ]

Verb

leer (first-person singular present leo, first-person singular preterite leí, past participle leído)

1. to read

   Synonym: ridear

Conjugation

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

• Quechua: liyiy

Source: wiktionary.org

• to look with a sideways glance.
  (source: Collins Scrabble Dictionary)