leer
To look sideways or obliquelyTo look sideways or obliquely; now especially with sexual desire or malicious intent.
» Look at the leer on Tom's face.
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
4 senses(intransitive)To look sideways or obliquely; now especially with sexual desire or malicious intent.
anzüglich blicken, schielen
ко́со смотре́тьkóso smotrétʹ, смотре́ть с вожделе́ниемsmotrétʹ s voždelénijem
(transitive)To entice with a leer or leers.
(obsolete, transitive)To teach.
(obsolete, transitive)To learn.
- look suggestively or obliquely; look or gaze with a sly, immodest, or malign expression
Examples
4 sentencesLook at the leer on Tom's face.
Is that a smile or a leer?
She caught him leering at the waitress.
A second look may be flattering; after that, things go downhill: first to staring, then to ogling, finally to frankly leering.
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
Exact development uncertain, but apparently from a verb *leer (“to make a face, look sidewExact development uncertain, but apparently from a verb *leer (“to make a face, look sideways”), from leer (“cheek, face, profile”).
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.
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Forms
leers, leering, leered, leeredSynonyms
1 synonymsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle