-er

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   A person or thing that does an action indicated by the root verb

   A person or thing that does an action indicated by the root verb; used to form an agent noun.

   • read + -er → reader
   • see + -er → seer
   • cook + -er → cooker
2. 2

   A person or thing to which the root verb is done or can be done satisfactorily.

   • look + -er → looker (“an attractive person”)
   • keep + -er → keeper (“a person or thing worth keeping”)
3. 3

   A person whose occupation is the root noun

   A person whose occupation is the root noun; (more broadly, occasionally with adjectives) a person characterized by the root.

   • astrology + -er → astrologer
   • baby boom + -er → baby boomer
   • conlang + -er → conlanger
4. ›+ 15 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      A person or thing to which a certain number or measurement applies.

      • six + -er → sixer
      • six foot + -er → six-footer
      • three-wheel + -er → three-wheeler
   2. 5

      Used to form nouns shorter than more formal synonyms.

      • percent + -er → percenter (“commission agent”)
      • one hand + -er → one-hander (“one-man show”)
      • oat + -er → oater (“a Western-themed movie”)
   3. 6

      A person who is associated with, or supports a particular theory, doctrine, or political…

      A person who is associated with, or supports a particular theory, doctrine, or political movement.

      • birth + -er → birther
      • flat earth + -er → flat-earther
      • truth + -er → truther
   4. 7

      A thing that is related in some way to the root, such as by location or purpose.

      • bacon + -er → baconer (“pig raised for bacon”)
      • chocolate chip + -er → chocolate chipper (“cookie containing chocolate chips”)
      • sternwheel + -er → sternwheeler (“vessel driven by a sternwheel”)
   5. 8

      Indicates a correspondence or coincidence between the action or condition indicated by…

      Indicates a correspondence or coincidence between the action or condition indicated by the root and the noun being described.

      • piss + -er → pisser (“a hilariously funny event or situation”)
   6. 9

      Suffix denoting a resident or inhabitant of (the place denoted by the proper noun)

      Suffix denoting a resident or inhabitant of (the place denoted by the proper noun); used to form a demonym.

      • New York + -er → New Yorker
      • London + -er → Londoner
      • Dublin + -er → Dubliner
   7. 10

      Suffix denoting residency in or around a place, district, area, or region.

      • island + -er → islander
      • highland + -er → highlander
      • East End + -er → East-Ender
   8. 11

      Suffix used to form the plural of a small number of English nouns.

      • childer, calver, lamber, linder ("loins")
   9. 12

      More

      More; used to form the comparative.

      • hard + -er → harder
      • wet + -er → wetter
      • motley + -er → motlier
   10. 13

       Frequently

       Frequently; used to form frequentative verbs.

       • twitter, clamber, bicker, mutter, wander, flutter, flicker, slither, smother, sputter
   11. 14

       Instance of (the verbal action)

       Instance of (the verbal action); used to form nouns from verbs.

       • disclaim + -er → disclaimer
       • remit + -er → remitter
       • misname + -er → misnomer
   12. 15

       Used to form diminutives.

       • shive + -er → shiver
       • slive + -er → sliver
       • splint + -er → splinter
   13. 16

       Used to form slang or colloquial equivalents of words.

       • association + -er → soccer (“association football”)
       • football + -er → footer (“association football”)
       • rugby + -er → rugger
   14. 17

       A suffix creating adjectives from verbs, indicating aptitude, proneness, or tendency…

       A suffix creating adjectives from verbs, indicating aptitude, proneness, or tendency toward a specified action

       • clive + -er → cliver (“apt to cleave or adhere to, tenacious, expert as seizing”)
       • slip + -er → slipper (“tending to make slip, slippery”)
       • wake + -er → waker (“tending to wake, watchful”)
   15. 18

       Junior, child, younger person. (Attached to a name, usually one syllable of the given…

       Junior, child, younger person. (Attached to a name, usually one syllable of the given name.)

       • Li’er said hello to his father.
       • Yue’er began to laugh again and her tears shimmered like dew on a lotus leaf disturbed by a breeze. Then we heard a sound. It was Man’er.
       • The fish was laid out on the table, but Ping’er had not come back, nor had his father.

The neighborhood

• neighbor-eer