# leer
## English
### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA: /lɪə/
** Audio (UK):(file)
* (US) IPA: /lɪɹ/
** Audio (US):(file)
* (New Zealand) IPA: /liə/
* (Scotland) IPA: /liːɹ/
* (East Anglia, cheer–chair merger) IPA: /lɛː/
* Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
* Homophones: lear; lair (cheer–chair merger)

### Etymology 1

Exact development uncertain, but apparently from a verb *leer (“to make a face, look sideways”), from leer (“cheek, face, profile”).

#### Verb

leer (third-person singular simple present leers, present participle leering, simple past and past participle leered)
* (intransitive) To look sideways or obliquely; now especially with sexual desire or malicious intent.
** 1834 [1799], Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Robert Southey, “The Devil's Thoughts”, in The Poetical Works of S. T. Coleridge, volume II, London: W. Pickering, page 86:And she looked to Mr. –––– / And leered like a love-sick pigeon.
** 1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, chapter XXXVIII, in Great Expectations […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, […], published October 1861, →OCLC:I thought I saw him leer in an ugly way at me while the decanters were going round, but as there was no love lost between us, that might easily be.
** 1878, Henry James, chapter VI, in The Europeans‎, Macmillan and Co.:The Baroness perceived that her entertainer had analyzed material comfort to a sufficiently fine point. And then he possessed the most delightful chinoiseries—trophies of his sojourn in the Celestial Empire: pagodas of ebony and cabinets of ivory; sculptured monsters, grinning and leering on chimney-pieces, in front of beautifully figured hand-screens; […]
** 1880, Mark Twain [pseudonym] (Samuel L[anghorne] Clemens), chapter XVIII, in A Tramp Abroad; […], Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company; London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 163:It was a quarter well stocked with deformed, leering, unkempt and uncombed idiots, who held out hands or caps and begged piteously.
** 1891, Oscar Wilde, chapter XIII, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, London, New York, N.Y., Melbourne, Vic.: Ward Lock & Co., →OCLC:“Hush! Don’t say that. You have done enough evil in your life. My God! Don’t you see that accursed thing leering at us?”
* (transitive) To entice with a leer or leers.
** 1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act I, page 6:But Bertran has been taught the Arts of Court, / To guild a Face with Smiles; and leer a man to ruin.

##### Conjugation

$^†$ Archaic or obsolete.

##### Translations
#### Noun

leer (plural leers)
* A significant side glance; a glance expressive of some passion, as malignity, amorousness, etc.; a sly or lecherous look.
** 1891, Thomas Hardy, chapter XXXIX, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC:Nevertheless humanity stood before him no longer in the pensive sweetness of Italian art, but in the staring and ghastly attitudes of a Wiertz Museum, and with the leer of a study by Van Beers.
** 1891, Oscar Wilde, chapter XVI, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, London, New York, N.Y., Melbourne, Vic.: Ward Lock & Co., →OCLC:“ […] They say he has sold himself to the devil for a pretty face. It’s nigh on eighteen years since I met him. He hasn’t changed much since then. I have, though,” she added, with a sickly leer.
** 1895, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, The Stark Munro Letters: […], London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC:I rose and bade him good-night, with a last impression of him leaning back in his dressing-gown, a sodden cigar-end in the corner of his mouth, his beard all slopped with whisky, and his half-glazed eyes looking sideways after me with the leer of a satyr.
** 1897, Bram Stoker, chapter XX, in Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, →OCLC:“ […] I have friends—good friends—like you, Dr. Seward”; this was said with a leer of inexpressible cunning.
** 1913 December – 1914 March, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “In Durance”, in The Warlord of Mars, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published September 1919, →OCLC:There was a nasty leer upon his face as he stepped close to her and spoke again. I could not hear his words, but her answer came clearly.
* An arch or affected glance or cast of countenance.

##### Translations
### Etymology 2

From Middle English ler, leor (“face, cheek”), from Old English hlēor (“face, cheek, profile”), from Proto-West Germanic *hleuʀ, from Proto-Germanic *hleuzą (“ear, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlews- (“temple of the forehead, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“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)
* (obsolete) The cheek.
** 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Harrison, →OCLC:No ladie (quoth the earle with a lowd voice, and the tears trilling downe his leeres)
* (obsolete) The face.
* (obsolete) One's appearance; countenance.
** c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:a Rosalind of a better leer than you
* (obsolete) Complexion; hue; colour.
** c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:Here's a young lad fram'd of another leer. Look, how the black slave smiles upon the father;
* (obsolete) Flesh; skin.
* (UK dialectal) The flank or loin.

### Etymology 3

From Middle English lere, from Old English ġelǣr, *lǣre (“empty, void, empty-handed”), from Proto-Germanic *lēziz, *lēzijaz (“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)
* (obsolete) Empty; unoccupied; clear.
    Synonyms: vacant, void; see also Thesaurus:empty
** 1591, John Harington, Orlando Furioso:The horse runs leere away without the man.
* (obsolete) Destitute; lacking; wanting.
    Synonyms: absent, awanting; see also Thesaurus:lacking
* (obsolete) Faint from lack of food; hungry.
* (UK dialectal, obsolete) Thin; faint.
* (obsolete) Having no load or burden; free; without a rider.
** 1629 (first performance), B[en] Jonson, The New Inne. Or, The Light Heart. […], London: […] Thomas Harper, for Thomas Alchorne, […], published 1631, →OCLC, (please specify the page), (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):a leer horse
* (obsolete) Lacking sense or seriousness; trifling; frivolous.
    leer words

##### Derived terms

* leerness

### Etymology 4

From Middle English leren, from Old English lǣran (“to teach, instruct, guide, enjoin, advise, persuade, urge, preach, hand down”), from Proto-West Germanic *laiʀijan, from Proto-Germanic *laizijaną (“to teach”), from Proto-Indo-European *leys- (“track, footprint, furrow, trace”). Cognate with Dutch leren (“to teach, to learn”), German lehren (“to teach”), Swedish lära (“to teach”). Related to Old English lār (“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)
* (transitive, obsolete) To teach.
* (transitive, obsolete) To learn.

### Etymology 5

See lehr.

#### Noun

leer (plural leers)
* Alternative form of lehr

### Anagrams

* Erle, LREE, Reel, reel

## Afrikaans
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /lɪər/

### Etymology 1

From Dutch leren, from Middle Dutch lêren, from Old Dutch lēren, from Proto-Germanic *laizijaną.

#### Verb

leer (present leer, present participle lerende, past participle geleer)
* To learn.

### Etymology 2

From Dutch leer, from Middle Dutch lêre, from Old Dutch lēra, from Proto-Germanic *laizō.

#### Noun

leer (uncountable)
* A teaching.

### Etymology 3

From Dutch leer, from older leder, from Middle Dutch lēder, from Old Dutch *lether, from Proto-Germanic *leþrą.

#### Noun

leer (uncountable)
* leather

### Etymology 4

From Dutch leer (dialectal synonym of ladder), from Middle Dutch leer.

#### Noun

leer (plural lere)
* A ladder.

##### Descendants

* → Sotho: lere
* → Xhosa: ileli

## Danish
### Pronunciation

* Rhymes: -eːˀər

### Noun

leer c
* indefinite plural of le

## Dutch
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /leːr/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: leer
* Rhymes: -eːr

### Etymology 1

From leder through regular syncope of intervocalic -d- (compare weer, blij, la), from Middle Dutch leder, from Old Dutch *lether, from Proto-West Germanic *leþr, from Proto-Germanic *leþrą.

#### Noun

leer n (uncountable)
* leather
    Synonym: leder
    Deze tas is gemaakt van hoogwaardig leer en is zeer duurzaam.This bag is made of high-quality leather and is very durable.
    Ik hou van de geur van vers leer, het is zo karakteristiek.I love the smell of fresh leather, it's so distinctive.

##### Derived terms

* kunstleer
* leerdoek
* leertje
* leertouwen

##### Descendants

* Afrikaans: leer
* Negerhollands: leër, leer
* → Aukan: leli
* → Sranan Tongo: leri

### Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch lêre, from Old Dutch lēra, from Proto-West Germanic *laiʀu, from Proto-Germanic *laizō.

#### Noun

leer f (plural leren, diminutive leertje n)
* doctrine
    In de filosofie zijn er verschillende leren en opvattingen over de aard van de werkelijkheid.In philosophy, there are various doctrines and views on the nature of reality.
* theory, teachings
    Deze wetenschappelijke studie is gebaseerd op de nieuwste leren en onderzoek op het gebied van genetica.This scientific study is based on the latest theory and research in the field of genetics.
    De afdeling biologie biedt verschillende leren aan, zoals celbiologie, ecologie en moleculaire biologie.The biology department offers various fields of learning such as cell biology, ecology, and molecular biology.
* 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
* streng in de leer
* verzamelingenleer
* vormleer
* warmteleer
* zedenleer

##### Descendants

* Afrikaans: leer
* Negerhollands: leer

### Etymology 3

From Middle Dutch leer, contraction of ledere.

#### Noun

leer f (plural leren)
* (dialectal, dated) Alternative form of ladder

##### Descendants

* Afrikaans: leer

### Etymology 4

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Verb

leer
* inflection of leren:
** first-person singular present indicative
** (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
** imperative

### Anagrams

* lere

## Estonian
### Etymology 1

From Middle Low German leger, lager. Etymological twin of laager.

#### Noun

leer (genitive leeri, partitive leeri)
* A camp
* A side (in a conflict)
    Ta on vastaste leerisHe's on the enemies' side.

##### Declension
### Etymology 2

From Middle Low German lere (“study, learning”).

#### Noun

leer (genitive leeri, partitive leeri)
* A (protestant) confirmation into the faithful community.

##### Declension
## German
### Etymology

From Middle High German lēr, lēre, lǣre, from Old High German lāri, from Proto-West Germanic *lāʀi, from Proto-Germanic *lēziz. Cognate with Bavarian lar, Dutch laar, English leer.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /leːɐ̯/
* Audio:(file)
* Homophone: lehr
* Rhymes: -eːɐ̯

### Adjective

leer (strong nominative masculine singular leerer, comparative leerer, superlative am leersten)
* empty
    Synonym: inhaltslos
    Antonyms: voll, gefüllt

#### Derived terms

* Leere
* leeren

#### Related terms

* Leergewicht
* leerlaufen
* nichtleer
* halb leer

### Verb

leer
* singular imperative of leeren
* (colloquial) first-person singular present of leeren

### Further reading

* “leer” in Duden online
* “leer” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

## North Frisian
### Alternative forms

* lees (Föhr-Amrum)
* leese (Mooring)

### Etymology

From Old Frisian *hletha (attested in the past participle hleden), from Proto-West Germanic *hlaþan.

### Verb

leer
* (Sylt) to load

#### Conjugation
## Norwegian Bokmål
### Verb

leer
* present tense of lee

## Old Galician-Portuguese
### Etymology

Inherited from Latin lēgere.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /leˈeɾ/

### Verb

leer
* to read

#### Related terms

* colher
* escolher
* lenha
* lenho
* Leon
* liçon

#### Descendants

* Galician: ler
* Portuguese: ler

### Further reading

* Universo Cantigas - "leer"

## Pennsylvania German
### Etymology

From Middle High German lǣre, from Old High German lāri. Compare German leer.

### Adjective

leer
* empty

## Romansch
### Etymology

From Latin aēr, with the initial 'l' added from a preceding definite article.

### Noun

leer m
* (Sutsilvan) air

#### Synonyms

* (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran) aria
* (Puter, Vallader) ajer

## Spanish
### Etymology

Inherited from Latin legere (“to read, gather, choose”), from Proto-Italic *legō, from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ-. Related with English legend, legible, lesson.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /leˈeɾ/ [leˈeɾ]
* Audio (Colombia):(file)
* Rhymes: -eɾ
* Syllabification: le‧er

### Verb

leer (first-person singular present leo, first-person singular preterite leí, past participle leído)
* to read
    Synonym: (Belize) ridear
    Quiero leer el periódico.I want to read the newspaper.
    Léase también la Orden General núm. 8.Also read General Order No. 8.
** 1605, Miguel de Cervantes, El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha, Primera parte:[…] y llegó a tanto su curiosidad y desatino en esto, que vendió muchas hanegas de tierra de sembradura para comprar libros de caballerías en que leer, y, así, llevó a su casa todos cuantos pudo haber dellos. […] to such a pitch did his eagerness and infatuation go that he sold many an acre of tillage land to buy books of chivalry to read, and brought home as many of them as he could get.

#### Conjugation

$^1$Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language. $^2$Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.
These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

#### Derived terms

* entre gitanos no nos leemos la mano
* entre gitanos no nos leemos la suerte
* entre gitanos no nos leemos las cartas
* leer en diagonal
* leer entre líneas
* leer la cartilla
* leer la mente

#### Related terms

* atril
* lección
* lector
* lectura
* legible
* leyenda

#### Descendants

* Quechua: liyiy

### Further reading

* “leer”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10