Pester definition | Dictionary.com

pes⋅ter

[pes-ter]

–verb (used with object)

1.	to bother persistently with petty annoyances; trouble: Don't pester me with your trivial problems.

2.	Obsolete. to overcrowd.

Origin:
1530–40; perh. aph. var. of empester, impester to tangle, encumber (though pester is found earlier than these 2 words) < MF empestrer to hobble, entangle < VL *impāstōriāre to hobble, equiv. to im- im- ¹ + pāstōri(a) a hobble, n. use of L pāstōrius of a herdsman or shepherd + -āre inf. suffix (see pastor ); aph. form appar. reinforced by pest (cf. -er ⁶ )

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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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Language Translation for : Pester

Spanish:

molestar, importunar, dar la lata,

German:

plagen,

Japanese:

困らせる

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pes·ter (pěs'tər) Pronunciation Key
tr.v. pes·tered, pes·ter·ing, pes·ters
To harass with petty annoyances; bother. See Synonyms at harass.

[Probably short for French empestrer, to constrain, embarrass (probably also influenced by pest), from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *impāstōriāre : Latin in-, in; see in-² + Vulgar Latin *pāstōria, a hobble, from Latin, feminine of pāstōrius, of a herdsman (from pāstor, herdsman; see pā- in Indo-European roots).]
pes'ter·er n.

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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pester

1524, "to clog, entangle, encumber," probably aphetic of M.Fr. empestrer "place in an embarrassing situation" (Fr. empêtrer, Walloon epasturer), from V.L. *impastoriare "to hobble" (an animal), from L. im- "in" + M.L. pastoria (chorda) "rope to hobble an animal," noun use of L. pastoria, fem. of pastorius "of a herdsman," from pastor "herdsman," from pascere "to graze." Sense of "annoy, trouble" (1562) is from influence of pest (q.v.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

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pester
verb
annoy persistently; "The children teased the boy because of his stammer" [syn: tease]

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.

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Pester

Pes"ter\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pestered; p. pr. & vb. n. Pestering.] [Abbrev. fr. impester, fr. OF. empaistrier, empestrer, to entangle the feet or legs, to embarrass, F. emp[^e]trer; pref. em-, en- (L. in in) + LL. pastorium, pastoria, a fetter by which horses are prevented from wandering in the pastures, fr. L. pastorius belonging to a herdsman or shepherd, pastor a herdsman. See In, and Pasture, Pastor.]

1. To trouble; to disturb; to annoy; to harass with petty vexations.

We are pestered with mice and rats. --Dr. H. More.

A multitude of scribblers daily pester the world. --Dryden.

2. To crowd together in an annoying way; to overcrowd; to infest. [Obs.] --Milton.

All rivers and pools . . . pestered full with fishes. --Holland.