In imitation of the French words (perhaps in some instances rather in imitation of Spanish nouns in -ero, of similar origin) the suffix is added to English nouns to form designations of persons, as auctioneer, charioteer, mountaineer (earlier -er). In many of the words so formed there is a more or less contemptuous implication, as in crotcheteer, garreteer, pamphleteer, pulpiteer, sonneteer.The spelling -eer, replacing the older -ier, became frequent in new words in the early 17th century. Mountaineer and waistcoateer (a prostitute) afford early instances, and are also exceptional examples, of the use of this suffix. A few formations denote inanimate objects, as gazetteer (1704), muffineer (1806–7). In the latter part of the 17th century gerundial and (to a less extent) participial formations on agent-nouns in -eer appeared, and increased in the course of the following century, as auctioneering (1733), buccaneering (1703), electioneering (1774), engineering (1720), parliamenteering (1711), privateering (1664), volunteering (1691). These, being formed directly on the nouns in -eer, do not necessarily imply the existence of a corresponding infinitive or finite verbal form, though an early example actually appears in mutineered (1682). Some of these formations, e.g. parliamenteering, were in commoner use than the original noun; occasionally, as in revolutioneering, no noun exists, -eering itself being used as a suffix.

Representing Dutch -eren (see etymology), as in domineer v., commandeer v.