Leer in Scrabble and Meaning

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Valid words made from Leer

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4-letter words (3 found)

3-letter words (4 found)

2-letter words (4 found)

1-letter words (1 found)

You can make 12 words from leer according to the Scrabble US and Canada dictionary.

Definitions and meaning of leer

leer

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA^(key): /lɪə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /lɪɹ/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /liə/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /liːɹ/
• (East Anglia, cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /lɛː/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
• Homophones: lear; lair (cheer–chair merger)

Etymology 1

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

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

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Middle English ler, leor (“face, cheek”), from Old English hlēor (“face, cheek, profile”), from Proto-West Germanic *hleuʀ, from Proto-Germanic *hleuzą (“ear, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlews- (“temple of the forehead, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *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.
2. (obsolete) The face.
3. (obsolete) One's appearance; countenance.
4. (obsolete) Complexion; hue; colour.
5. (obsolete) Flesh; skin.
6. (UK 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.

   Synonyms: vacant, void; see also Thesaurus:empty
3. (obsolete) Destitute; lacking; wanting.

   Synonyms: absent, awanting; see also Thesaurus:lacking

4. (obsolete) Faint from lack of food; hungry.
5. (UK 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-West Germanic *laiʀijan, from Proto-Germanic *laizijaną (“to teach”), from Proto-Indo-European *leys- (“track, footprint, furrow, trace”). Cognate with Dutch leren (“to teach, to learn”), 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

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

Danish

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eːˀər

Noun

leer c

1. indefinite plural of le

Dutch

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

From leder through regular syncope of intervocalic -d- (compare weer, blij, la), from Middle Dutch leder, from Old Dutch *lether, from Proto-West Germanic *leþr, from Proto-Germanic *leþrą.

Noun

leer n (uncountable)

1. leather

   Synonym: leder

   Deze tas is gemaakt van hoogwaardig leer en is zeer duurzaam. ― This bag is made of high-quality leather and is very durable.

   Ik hou van de geur van vers leer, het is zo karakteristiek. ― I love the smell of fresh leather, it's so distinctive.

Derived terms

Descendants

• Afrikaans: leer
• Negerhollands: leër, leer
• → Aukan: leli
• → Sranan Tongo: leri

Etymology 2

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

Noun

leer f (plural leren, diminutive leertje n)

1. doctrine

   In de filosofie zijn er verschillende leren en opvattingen over de aard van de werkelijkheid. ― In philosophy, there are various doctrines and views on the nature of reality.

2. theory, teachings

   Deze wetenschappelijke studie is gebaseerd op de nieuwste leren en onderzoek op het gebied van genetica. ― This scientific study is based on the latest theory and research in the field of genetics.

   De afdeling biologie biedt verschillende leren aan, zoals celbiologie, ecologie en moleculaire biologie. ― The biology department offers various fields of learning such as cell biology, ecology, and molecular biology.

3. a field of learning; set of lessons and theory on a subject within a discipline

Derived terms

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. inflection of leren:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

Anagrams

• lere

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)

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

German

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

leer (strong nominative masculine singular leerer, comparative leerer, superlative am leersten)

1. empty

   Synonym: inhaltslos

   Antonyms: voll, gefüllt

Declension

Derived terms

• Leere
• leeren

Related terms

• Leergewicht
• 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
• “leer” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

North Frisian

Alternative forms

• lees (Föhr-Amrum)
• leese (Mooring)

Etymology

From Old Frisian *hletha (attested in the past participle hleden), from Proto-West Germanic *hlaþan.

Verb

leer

1. (Sylt) to load

Conjugation

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

leer

1. present tense of lee

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Latin lēgere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leˈeɾ/

Verb

leer

1. to read

Related terms

Descendants

• Galician: ler
• Portuguese: ler

Further reading

• Universo Cantigas - "leer"

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

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

Adjective

leer

1. empty

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

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin legere (“to read, gather, choose”), from Proto-Italic *legō, from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ-. Related with English legend, legible, lesson.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leˈeɾ/ [leˈeɾ]
• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Syllabification: le‧er

Verb

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

1. to read

   Synonym: (Belize) ridear

Conjugation

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

• Quechua: liyiy

Further reading

• “leer”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Source: wiktionary.org