err
verb /ɜː(r)/
/er/
[intransitive] (old-fashioned, formal)Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they err | /ɜː(r)/ /er/ |
| he / she / it errs | /ɜːz/ /erz/ |
| past simple erred | /ɜːd/ /erd/ |
| past participle erred | /ɜːd/ /erd/ |
| -ing form erring | /ˈɜːrɪŋ/ /ˈerɪŋ/ |
- to make a mistake
- To err is human…
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘wander, go astray’): from Old French errer, from Latin errare ‘to stray’.
Idioms
err on the side of something
- to show too much of a good quality in order to avoid showing too little
- I thought it was better to err on the side of caution (= to be too careful rather than take a risk).