peer

1 of 3

noun

1
: one that is of equal standing with another : equal
The band mates welcomed the new member as a peer.
especially : one belonging to the same societal group especially based on age, grade, or status
teenagers spending time with their peers
2
a
: a member of one of the five ranks (duke, marquess, earl, viscount, or baron) of the British peerage
b
: noble sense 1
Peers and commoners alike were shown the same courtesy.
3
archaic : companion
peer adjective

peer

2 of 3

verb (1)

peered; peering; peers

intransitive verb

1
: to look narrowly or curiously
a child peering from behind a tree
especially : to look searchingly at something difficult to discern
She peered into the dark closet looking for her missing shoe.
2
: to come slightly into view : emerge partly
a vast white cloud, through which the sun peeredFrancis Kingdon-Ward

peer

3 of 3

verb (2)

peered; peering; peers

Examples of peer in a Sentence

Noun He was respected and admired by his peers. teenagers spending time with their peer groups
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Chris Rock, for instance, recalled giving Hart some important advice early on his career, telling the up-and-comer to stop competing with his peers and build his own voice and style. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2024 While Dell and his namesake company don’t tend to generate buzzy headlines like some of his peers, the hardware behemoth seems well-positioned to capitalize on the latest craze in technology: AI. Michal Lev-Ram, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for peer 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'peer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French per, from per, adjective, equal, from Latin par

Verb (1)

perhaps by shortening & alteration from appear

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of peer was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near peer

Cite this Entry

“Peer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peer. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

peer

1 of 2 noun
1
: a person of the same rank or class as another
2
a
: a member of one of the five ranks of the British nobility

peer

2 of 2 verb
1
: to look closely or curiously
peered into the dark closet
2
Etymology

Noun

Middle English peer "one on equal standing with another," derived from early French per (adjective) "equal," from Latin par "equal" — related to compare, pair, par, umpire see Word History at umpire

Verb

perhaps an altered and shortened form of appear

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