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peer 1 (pîr)
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intr.v. peered, peer·ing, peers
1. To look intently, searchingly, or with difficulty. See Synonyms at gaze.
2. To be partially visible; show: The moon peered from behind dark clouds.

[Sense 1, perhaps a variant of Early Modern English pire (from Middle English piren; perhaps akin to Low German piren, to search closely), Sense 2, perhaps a variant of Early Modern English pear (from Middle English peren. probably alteration of apperen, to appear; see APPEAR).]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
peer 2 (pîr)
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n.
1. A person who has equal standing with another or others, as in rank, class, or age: children who are easily influenced by their peers.
2.
a. A nobleman.
b. A man who holds a peerage by descent or appointment.
3. A computer participating in a peer-to-peer network.
4. Archaic A companion; a fellow: "To stray away into these forests drear, / Alone, without a peer" (John Keats).

[Middle English, from Old French per, equal, peer, from Latin pār; see perə-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.