Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To look with a sidelong glance, indicative especially of sexual desire or sly and malicious intent.
- noun A desirous, sly, or knowing look.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To look obliquely or askant; now, especially, to look obliquely with significance; cast a look expressive of some passion, as contempt, malignity, etc., especially a sly or amorous look.
- To give an oblique glance or leer with.
- To affect by leering, in a way specified.
- noun The cheek; more generally, the face.
- noun Complexion; hue; color.
- noun Flesh; skin.
- noun The flank or loin.
- noun A significant side glance; a glance expressive of some passion, as malignity, amorousness, etc.; an arch or affected glance or cast of countenance.
- Empty; unoccupied.
- Hence Frivolous; trifling.
- Left.
- noun A dialectal variant of
lire . - noun Tape, braid, binding, etc.
- noun In glass manufacturing, an annealing-furnace in which glassware is slowly cooled and annealed.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb obsolete To learn.
- noun An oven in which glassware is annealed.
- transitive verb To entice with a leer, or leers.
- adjective Empty of contents.
- adjective Destitute of a rider; and hence, led, not ridden.
- adjective Wanting sense or seriousness; trifling; trivolous.
- intransitive verb To look with a leer; to look askance with a suggestive expression, as of hatred, contempt, lust, etc.; to cast a sidelong lustful or malign look.
- noun obsolete The cheek.
- noun obsolete Complexion; aspect; appearance.
- noun A distorted expression of the face, or an indirect glance of the eye, conveying a sinister or immodest suggestion.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
Empty ;unoccupied ;clear . - adjective
Destitute ;lacking ;wanting . - adjective Faint from lack of food;
hungry . - adjective
Thin ;faint . - adjective Having no
load orburden ;free . - verb transitive To
teach . - verb transitive To
learn . - noun Alternative form of
lehr . - verb intransitive To
look sideways or obliquely; now especially withsexual desire ormalicious intent . - verb transitive To
entice with a leer or leers. - noun A significant side
glance ; a glance expressive of some passion, asmalignity ,amorousness , etc.; asly orlecherous look . - noun An arch or affected glance or cast of
countenance . - noun obsolete The
cheek . - noun obsolete The
face . - noun obsolete One's
appearance ;countenance . - noun obsolete
Complexion ;hue ;blee ;colour . - noun obsolete
Flesh ;skin . - noun The
flank orloin .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb look suggestively or obliquely; look or gaze with a sly, immodest, or malign expression
- noun a suggestive or sneering look or grin
- noun a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curls
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
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Examples
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Gladys, overhearing, gave us all a grin, or perhaps the word leer describes it better, revealing that she had very few teeth and that the ones which were left were horridly like fangs.
To Ruin a Queen FIONA BUCKLEY 2000
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Gladys, overhearing, gave us all a grin, or perhaps the word leer describes it better, revealing that she had very few teeth and that the ones which were left were horridly like fangs.
To Ruin a Queen FIONA BUCKLEY 2000
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Gladys, overhearing, gave us all a grin, or perhaps the word leer describes it better, revealing that she had very few teeth and that the ones which were left were horridly like fangs.
To Ruin a Queen FIONA BUCKLEY 2000
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Gladys, overhearing, gave us all a grin, or perhaps the word leer describes it better, revealing that she had very few teeth and that the ones which were left were horridly like fangs.
To Ruin a Queen FIONA BUCKLEY 2000
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I wonder now, when I recall his leer, that I did not collar him, and try to shake the breath out of his body.
David Copperfield 2007
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Her smile is now more sneer than leer, which is how I know she respects me somewhat.
Fall On Your Knees Macdonald Ann-Marie 1996
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Her smile is now more sneer than leer, which is how I know she respects me somewhat.
Fall On Your Knees Macdonald Ann-Marie 1996
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The leer was a parody of Pham's self-assured smile.
A Fire Upon the Deep Vinge, Vernor 1992
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I wonder now, when I recall his leer, that I did not collar him, and try to shake the breath out of his body.
David Copperfield Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870 1917
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I wonder now, when I recall his leer, that I did not collar him, and try to shake the breath out of his body.
David Copperfield 1850
oroboros commented on the word leer
Reel in reverse.
July 22, 2007