different between peep vs leer

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: p?p, IPA^(key): /pi?p/
• (US) IPA^(key): /pip/, [p?ip]
• Rhymes: -i?p

Etymology 1

From Middle English pepen. Compare Dutch piepen (“peep”), German Low German piepen (“to peep”), German piepen and pfeifen, all probably onomatopoeic.

Noun

peep (plural peeps)

1. A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird.
2. A feeble utterance or complaint.

   I don't want to hear a peep out of you!

3. The sound of a steam engine's whistle; typically shrill.
   • 2001, Rev. W. Awdry, Thomas the tank engine collection : a unique collection of stories from the railway series - p. 177 - Egmont Books, Limited, Aug 15, 2001

     "Peep, peep," said Edward, "I'm ready."

     "Peep, peep, peep," said Henry, "so am I."

4. (birdwatching, colloquial) A sandpiper or other small wader.

Translations

Verb

peep (third-person singular simple present peeps, present participle peeping, simple past and past participle peeped)

1. To make a soft, shrill noise like a baby bird.
2. To speak briefly with a quiet voice.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English pepen, variant of piken.

Verb

peep (third-person singular simple present peeps, present participle peeping, simple past and past participle peeped)

1. (intransitive) To look, especially through a narrow opening, or while trying not to be seen or noticed.

   • And it was while all were passionately intent upon the pleasing and snake-like progress of their uncle that a young girl in furs, ascending the stairs two at a time, peeped perfunctorily into the nursery as she passed the hallway—and halted amazed.
2. (intransitive) To begin to appear; to look forth from concealment; to make the first appearance.
3. (transitive, MLE) To take a look at; check out.

   Did you peep that video I sent you?

Hypernyms

• glance

Translations

Noun

peep (plural peeps)

1. A quick look or glimpse, especially a furtive one.
2. The first partial appearance of something; a beginning to appear.

   the peep of day

Translations

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Of uncertain origin; perhaps variant of pip.

Noun

peep (plural peeps)

1. (obsolete) A spot on a die or domino.

Synonyms

• (spot on die or domino): pip

Etymology 4

Back-formation from peeps, a shortened form of people.

Noun

peep (plural peeps)

1. (Britain, slang) person.

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /l??/
• (US) IPA^(key): /l??/
• Rhymes: -??(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 hl?or (“face, cheek, profile”), from Proto-Germanic *hleuz? (“ear, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *?lews- (“temple of the forehead, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *?lewe-, *?lew- (“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 ?el?r, *l?re (“empty, void, empty-handed”), from Proto-Germanic *l?ziz, *l?zijaz (“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)

1. (obsolete) Empty; unoccupied; clear.

   a leer stomach

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

2. (obsolete) Destitute; lacking; wanting.
3. (obsolete) Faint from lack of food; hungry.
4. (Britain dialectal, obsolete) Thin; faint.
5. (obsolete) Having no load or burden; free; without a rider.
   • 1629, Ben Jonson, The New Inn

     a leer horse

6. (obsolete) Lacking sense or seriousness; trifling; frivolous.

   leer words

Derived terms

• leerness

Etymology 4

From Middle English leren, from Old English l?ran (“to teach, instruct, guide, enjoin, advise, persuade, urge, preach, hand down”), from Proto-Germanic *laizijan? (“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 l?r (“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): /l??r/

Etymology 1

From Dutch leren, from Middle Dutch lêren, from Old Dutch l?ren, from Proto-Germanic *laizijan?.

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 l?ra, from Proto-Germanic *laiz?.

Noun

leer (uncountable)

1. A teaching.

Etymology 3

From Dutch leer, from older leder, from Middle Dutch l?der, from Old Dutch *lether, from Proto-Germanic *leþr?.

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: -e???r

Noun

leer c

1. indefinite plural of le

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /le?r/
• Hyphenation: leer
• Rhymes: -e?r

Etymology 1

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

Noun

leer n (uncountable)

1. Leather.

   Synonym: leder

Derived terms

• kunstleer
• leerdoek
• leertje
• leertouwen

Descendants

• Afrikaans: leer

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch lêre, from Old Dutch l?ra, from Proto-Germanic *laiz?.

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

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 main entry.

Verb

leer

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

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)

   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

German

Etymology

From Middle High German l?r, l?re, l?re, from Old High German l?ri, from Proto-Germanic *l?ziz. Cognate with Dutch laar, English leer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /le???/
• Homophone: lehr
• Rhymes: -e???

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

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

leer

1. present tense of lee

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

Compare German leer.

Adjective

leer

1. empty

Romansch

Etymology

From Latin a?r, 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

From Latin legere, present active infinitive of leg? (whence English lesson and legend), from Proto-Italic *leg?, from Proto-Indo-European *le?-. Compare English legible.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /le?e?/, [le?e?]

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