Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense peers, present participle peering, past tense, past participle peered
1. verb
If you peerat something, you look at it very hard, usually because it is difficult to see clearly.
I had been peering at a computer print-out that made no sense at all. [VERB preposition]
He watched the Customs official peer into the driver's window. [VERB preposition]
2. countable noun
In Britain, a peer is a member of the nobility who has or had the right to vote in the House of Lords.
Lord Swan was made a life peer in 1981.
Synonyms: noble, lord, count, duke More Synonyms of peer
3. countable noun [usually plural]
Your peers are the people who are the same age as you or who have the same status as you.
...children who are much cleverer than their peers.
His engaging personality made him popular with his peers.
Synonyms: equal, like, match, fellow [old-fashioned] More Synonyms of peer
More Synonyms of peer
peer in British English1
(pɪə)
noun
1.
a member of a nobility; nobleman
2.
a person who holds any of the five grades of the British nobility: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron
See also life peer
3.
a.
a person who is an equal in social standing, rank, age, etc
b.
(as modifier)
peer pressure
4. archaic
a companion; mate
Word origin
C14 (in sense 3): from Old French per, from Latin pār equal
peer in British English2
(pɪə)
verb(intransitive)
1.
to look intently with or as if with difficulty
to peer into the distance
2.
to appear partially or dimly
the sun peered through the fog
Word origin
C16: from Flemish pieren to look with narrowed eyes
peer in American English1
(pɪr)
noun
1.
a person or thing of the same rank, value, quality, ability, etc.; equal; specif., an equal before the law
2.
a noble; esp., a British duke, marquess, earl, viscount, or baron
verb transitive
3. Archaic
to match or equal
Idioms:
peer of the realm
Word origin
ME peir < OFr per < L par, an equal: see par1
peer in American English2
(pɪr)
verb intransitive
1.
to look closely and searchingly, or squint, as in trying to see more clearly
2.
to come out or show slightly; come partly into sight
3. OLD-FASHIONED, Poetic
to appear
Word origin
? aphetic < appear
Examples of 'peer' in a sentence
peer
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…
The only pressure here is peer pressure, which works as a positive force.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
One of the Conservative hereditary peers seems to think so.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She now sits as a crossbench peer in the House of Lords.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It came during the bill's committee stage, an unusual time for peers to force votes.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Steel shaded his eyes against the sunlight and peered into the distance.
Iain Gale Man of Honour (2007)
He is a life peer and should be in it till death.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The crossbench peer said he hoped the courses would help to restore public trust in public life.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You could see him peering back from first class.
The Sun (2011)
This is where peer pressure is so important.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He had peered through the window and come into the bank.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It is no easy thing to peer through the fog of recent economic data.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This is probably due to a mixture of peer pressure and social conscience.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
To be voted by your peers is one of the biggest things in the game.
The Sun (2013)
Peer ranking requires each group member to rank the performance of all other members from best to worst.
A Conceptual View of Human Resource Management: Strategic Objectives, Environments,Functions
They tend to be four to five months behind peers in verbal ability and are less able to identify shapes.
The Sun (2011)
Avoid leaving any windows open while you are out and try to ensure valuables are not visible to people peering in.
The Sun (2014)
And the joints of ageing peers too..
The Sun (2008)
This year, the distance from their peers only widens.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
That the British rich are suffering much harder than their peers abroad should come as no surprise.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
She peered at me intently.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
In 1977 he became a Labour life peer.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The Conservative peer has offered a 250,000 prize for the best solution of how one or more countries could leave the euro.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Neat and trim in a pink shirt and blue spotted tie, the Conservative peer still runs three or four times a week.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
A committee of MPs, peers and officials will be set up before the summer and tasked with recommending one of the options.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
peer
British English: peer VERB
If you peer at something, you look at it very hard, usually because it is difficult to see clearly.
I had been peering at a computer print-out that made no sense at all.
American English: peer
Brazilian Portuguese: examinar
Chinese: 费力地看
European Spanish: mirar detenidamente
French: scruter
German: starren
Italian: scrutare
Japanese: じっと見詰める
Korean: 뚫어지게 보다
European Portuguese: examinar
Latin American Spanish: mirar detenidamente
British English: peer NOUN
Your peers are the people who are the same age as you or who have the same status as you.
His engaging personality made him popular with his peers.
American English: peer
Brazilian Portuguese: colega
Chinese: 同侪
European Spanish: igual
French: pair
German: Gleichrangige
Italian: pari
Japanese: 仲間
Korean: 또래
European Portuguese: colega
Latin American Spanish: igual
Translate your text for free
All related terms of 'peer'
life peer
In Britain, a life peer is a person who is given a title such as ' Lord ' or ' Lady ' which they can use for the rest of their life but which they cannot pass on when they die .
peer-to-peer
(of a computer network ) designed so that computers can send information directly to one another without passing through a centralized server
peer group
Your peer group is the group of people you know who are the same age as you or who have the same social status as you.
peer review
the evaluation by fellow specialists of research that someone has done in order to assess its suitability for publication or further development
peer pressure
If someone does something because of peer pressure , they do it because other people in their social group do it.
peer-reviewed
of or being scientific or scholarly writing or research that has undergone evaluation by other experts in the field ( peer review ) to judge if it merits publication or funding
peer of the realm
In Britain, a peer of the realm is a member of the nobility who has the right to sit in the House of Lords.
Chinese translation of 'peer'
peer
(pɪəʳ)
n(c)
(Brit, = noble) 贵(貴)族 (guìzú) (名, míng)
(= equal) 同等的人 (tóngděng de rén)
(= contemporary) 同龄(齡)人 (tónglíngrén) (个(個), gè)
vi
to peer at sb/sth盯着(著)看某人/某事 (dīngzhe kàn mǒurén/mǒushì)
1 (noun)
Definition
a person who holds any of the five grades of the British nobility: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron
The author is a life peer and the former MP.
Synonyms
noble
In those days, many of the nobles and landowners were a law unto themselves.
lord
She married a lord and lives in a huge house in the country.
count
duke
earl
baron
Yes, our friend the baron has his problems.
aristocrat
The car had once belonged to a Prussian aristocrat.
viscount
marquess
marquis
nobleman or woman
aristo (informal)
2 (noun)
Definition
a person of equal social standing, rank, age, etc.
Her personality made her popular with her peers.
Synonyms
equal
She was one of them, their equal.
like
We are dealing with an epidemic the like of which we have never seen.
match
I was no match for a man with such power.
fellow (old-fashioned)
He stood out from all his fellows at work.
contemporary
a glossary of terms used by Shakespeare and his contemporaries
coequal
compeer
1 (verb)
Definition
to look intently or as if with difficulty
I peered ahead and saw them on the causeway.She peered intently through the window.
Synonyms
squint
The girl squinted at the photograph.
look
She turned to look at him.
spy
gaze
scan
inspect
Cut the fruit in half and inspect the pips.
peep
Now and then she peeped to see if they were still paying attention.
peek
She peeked at him through a crack in the wall.
snoop
scrutinize
She scrutinized his features.
look closely
squinny
2 (verb)
Definition
to appear dimly
Synonyms
appear
A woman appeared at the far end of the street.
emerge
He was waiting outside as she emerged from the building.
become visible
peep out
Additional synonyms
in the sense of aristocrat
The car had once belonged to a Prussian aristocrat.
Synonyms
noble,
lord,
lady,
peer,
patrician,
grandee,
nobleman,
noblewoman,
aristo (informal),
childe (archaic),
peeress
in the sense of baron
Definition
a member of the lowest rank of nobility in the British Isles
Yes, our friend the baron has his problems.
Synonyms
nobleman,
lord,
peer,
noble,
aristocrat,
patrician,
grandee
in the sense of contemporary
Definition
a person or thing living at the same time or of approximately the same age as another
a glossary of terms used by Shakespeare and his contemporaries
Synonyms
peer,
fellow,
equal,
compeer
Synonyms of 'peer'
peer
Explore 'peer' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of emerge
Definition
to come into view out of something
He was waiting outside as she emerged from the building.
Synonyms
come out,
appear,
come up,
surface,
rise,
proceed,
arise,
turn up,
spring up,
emanate,
materialize,
issue,
come into view,
come forth,
become visible,
manifest yourself
in the sense of fellow
Definition
a comrade or associate
He stood out from all his fellows at work.
Synonyms
associate,
colleague,
peer,
co-worker,
member,
friend,
partner,
equal,
companion,
comrade,
crony,
compeer
in the sense of inspect
Definition
to examine closely, esp. for faults or errors
Cut the fruit in half and inspect the pips.
Synonyms
examine,
check,
look at,
view,
eye,
survey,
observe,
scan,
check out (informal),
look over,
eyeball (slang),
scrutinize,
give (something or someone) the once-over (informal),
take a dekko at (British, slang, old-fashioned),
go over or through
in the sense of like
Definition
the equal or counterpart of a person or thing
We are dealing with an epidemic the like of which we have never seen.
Synonyms
equal,
equivalent,
parallel,
match,
twin,
counterpart
in the sense of look
Definition
to direct a look at (someone) in a specified way
She turned to look at him.
Synonyms
see,
view,
consider,
watch,
eye,
study,
check,
regard,
survey,
clock (British, slang),
examine,
observe,
stare,
glance,
gaze,
scan,
check out (informal),
inspect,
gape,
peep,
behold (archaic),
goggle,
eyeball (slang),
scrutinize,
ogle,
gawp (British, slang),
gawk,
recce (slang),
get a load of (informal),
take a gander at (informal),
rubberneck (slang),
take a dekko at (British, slang, old-fashioned),
feast your eyes upon,
l%k
in the sense of lord
Definition
a male member of the nobility
She married a lord and lives in a huge house in the country.
Synonyms
peer,
nobleman,
count,
duke,
gentleman,
earl,
noble,
baron,
aristocrat,
viscount,
childe (archaic)
in the sense of match
Definition
a person or thing able to provide competition for another
I was no match for a man with such power.
Synonyms
equal,
rival,
equivalent,
peer,
competitor,
counterpart
in the sense of peek
Definition
to glance quickly or secretly
She peeked at him through a crack in the wall.
Synonyms
glance,
look,
peer,
spy,
take a look,
peep,
eyeball (slang),
sneak a look,
keek (Scottish),
snatch a glimpse,
squinny (rare),
take or have a gander (informal)
in the sense of peep
Definition
to look slyly or quickly, such as through a small opening or from a hidden place
Now and then she peeped to see if they were still paying attention.