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peer

13 dictionary results for: Peer

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

peer1

[peer] Pronunciation Key

–noun

1.	a person of the same legal status: a jury of one's peers.

2.	a person who is equal to another in abilities, qualifications, age, background, and social status.

3.	something of equal worth or quality: a sky-scraper without peer.

4.	a nobleman.

5.	a member of any of the five degrees of the nobility in Great Britain and Ireland (duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron).

6.	Archaic. a companion.

[Origin: 1175–1225; ME per < OF per < L pār equal

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

peer2

[peer] Pronunciation Key

–verb (used without object)

1.	to look narrowly or searchingly, as in the effort to discern clearly.

2.	to peep out or appear slightly.

3.	to come into view.

[Origin: 1585–95; perh. aph. var. of appear

]

—Related forms

peer·ing·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 1. See peep¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

peer¹ (pîr) Pronunciation Key
intr.v. peered, peer·ing, peers

To look intently, searchingly, or with difficulty. See Synonyms at gaze.
To be partially visible; show: The moon peered from behind dark clouds.

[Middle English piren (probably from Frisian piren) and peren (short for aperen, to appear; see appear).]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

peer² (pîr) Pronunciation Key
n.

A person who has equal standing with another or others, as in rank, class, or age: children who are easily influenced by their peers.
1. A nobleman.
2. A man who holds a peerage by descent or appointment.
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 Indo-European roots.]

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
peer (n.)

1303, "an equal in civil standing or rank" (1215 in Anglo-L.), from Anglo-Fr. peir, O.Fr. per (10c.), from L. par "equal." Sense of "noble" (1382) is from Charlemagne's Twelve Peers in the old romances, like knights of the Round Table, originally so called because all were equal. Sociological sense of "one of the same age group or social set" is from 1944. Peerage first recorded 1454. Peer review is first recorded 1971.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
peer (v.)

1591, variant of piren (1390), with a long -i-, probably related to or from E. Fris. piren "to look," of uncertain origin. Influenced in form and sense by M.E. peren (c.1375), aphetic form of aperen (see appear).

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

peer
noun
1.	a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
2.	a nobleman (duke or marquis or earl or viscount or baron) who is a member of the British peerage
verb
1.	look searchingly; "We peered into the back of the shop to see whether a salesman was around"

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Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

peer networking
A unit of communications hardware or software that is on the same protocol layer of a network as another. A common way of viewing a communications link is as two protocol stacks, which are actually connected only at the very lowest (physical) layer, but can be regarded as being connected at each higher layer by virtue of the services provided by the lower layers. Peer-to-peer communication refers to these real or virtual connections between corresponding systems in each layer.
To give a simple example, when two people talk to each other, the lowest layer is the physical layer which concerns the sound pressure waves travelling from mouth to ear (so mouths and ears are peers) the next layer might be the speech and hearing centres in the people's brains and the top layer their cerebellums or minds. Although, barring telepathy, nothing passes directly between the two minds, there is a peer-to-peer communication between them.
(2007-03-27)

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Peer

Peer\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Peered; p. pr. & vb. n. Peering.] [OF. parir, pareir equiv. to F. para[^i]tre to appear, L. parere. Cf. Appear.]

1. To come in sight; to appear. [Poetic]

So honor peereth in the meanest habit. --Shak.

See how his gorget peers above his gown! --B. Jonson.

2. [Perh. a different word; cf. OE. piren, LG. piren. Cf. Pry to peep.] To look narrowly or curiously or intently; to peep; as, the peering day. --Milton.

Peering in maps for ports, and piers, and roads. --Shak.

As if through a dungeon grate he peered. --Coleridge.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Peer

Peer\, n. [OE. per, OF. per, F. pair, fr. L. par equal. Cf. Apparel, Pair, Par, n., Umpire.]

1. One of the same rank, quality, endowments, character, etc.; an equal; a match; a mate.

In song he never had his peer. --Dryden.

Shall they consort only with their peers? --I. Taylor.

2. A comrade; a companion; a fellow; an associate.

He all his peers in beauty did surpass. --Spenser.

3. A nobleman; a member of one of the five degrees of the British nobility, namely, duke, marquis, earl, viscount, baron; as, a peer of the realm.