verb (used without object)
1.
to go astray in thought or belief; be mistaken; be incorrect.
2.
to go astray morally; sin: To err is human.
3.
Archaic. to deviate from the true course, aim, or purpose.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To Err
00:10
Err
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is skedaddle. Does it mean:
| to run away hurriedly; flee. |
| to spend time idly; loaf. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
err (ɜː) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to make a mistake; be incorrect |
| 2. | to stray from the right course or accepted standards; sin |
| 3. | to act with bias, esp favourable bias: to err on the side of justice |
| [C14: erren to wander, stray, from Old French errer, from Latin errāre] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
err
c.1300, from O.Fr. errer, from L. errare "wander, go astray, be in error" (a general Gmc. borrowing, cf. O.H.G. arunti "message," O.N. erendi, Goth. airziþa "error, deception"), from PIE base *ers- "wander around" (cf. Skt. arsati "flows," O.E. ierre "angry, straying"). Related: Erred; erring.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Juries err every day, yet judges rarely disturb jury verdicts.
In practice, the world would probably err on the generous side in dealing with nations exiled by waves.
All press releases must be handled with caution, as they are inherently self-serving and may well err by omission.
To err is human, to persevere in error is the act of a fool.
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