1.
[syn: sneer, leer]
2. a suggestive or sneering look or grin;
VERB (1)
1. look suggestively or obliquely; look or gaze with a sly, immodest, or malign expression;
- Example: "The men leered at the young women on the beach"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Leer \Leer\, a. [OE. lere; akin to G. leer, OHG. & OS. l[=a]ri.]
[Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Empty; destitute; wanting; as:
(a) Empty of contents. "A leer stomach." --Gifford.
(b) Destitute of a rider; and hence, led, not ridden; as, a
leer horse. --B. Jonson.
(c) Wanting sense or seriousness; trifling; trivolous; as,
leer words.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Leer \Leer\, n.
An oven in which glassware is annealed.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Leer \Leer\, n. [OE. lere cheek, face, look, AS. hle['o]r cheek,
face; akin to OS. hlear, hlior, OD. lier, Icel. hl[=y]r.]
1. The cheek. [Obs.] --Holinshed.
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2. Complexion; aspect; appearance. [Obs.]
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A Rosalind of a better leer than you. --Shak.
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3. A distorted expression of the face, or an indirect glance
of the eye, conveying a sinister or immodest suggestion.
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With jealous leer malign
Eyed them askance. --Milton.
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She gives the leer of invitation. --Shak.
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Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer.
--Pope.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Leer \Leer\ (l[=e]r), v. t.
To learn. [Obs.] See Lere, to learn.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Leer \Leer\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Leered (l[=e]rd); p. pr. &
vb. n. Leering.]
To look with a leer; to look askance with a suggestive
expression, as of hatred, contempt, lust, etc.; to cast a
sidelong lustful or malign look.
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I will leerupon him as a' comes by. --Shak.
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The priest, above his book,
Leering at his neighbor's wife. --Tennyson.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Leer \Leer\, v. t.
To entice with a leer, or leers; as, to leer a man to ruin.
--Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
leer
n 1: a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip
curls [syn: sneer, leer]
2: a suggestive or sneering look or grin
v 1: look suggestively or obliquely; look or gaze with a sly,
immodest, or malign expression; "The men leered at the
young women on the beach"