¹-er

adjective suffix or adverb suffix

Definition of -ER

—used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs of one syllable <hotter> <drier> and of some adjectives and adverbs of two or more syllables <completer> <beautifuller>

Origin of -ER

Middle English -er, -ere, -re, from Old English -ra (in adjectives), -or (in adverbs); akin to Old High German -iro, adjective comparative suffix, Latin -ior, Greek -iōn

²-er

noun suffix

: person having a particular job

: person or thing belonging to or associated with something

: native of : resident of

Full Definition of -ER

a : person occupationally connected with <furrier> <lawyer>

b : person or thing belonging to or associated with <header> <old-timer>

c : native of : resident of <cottager> <New Yorker>

d : one that has <three-decker>

e : one that produces or yields <porker>

a : one that does or performs (a specified action) <batter> —sometimes added to both elements of a compound <builder-upper>

b : one that is a suitable object of (a specified action) <broiler>

: one that is <foreigner> —in all senses -yer in a few words after w, -ier in a few other words, otherwise -er

Variants of -ER

-er also -ier or -yer

Origin of -ER

Middle English -er, -ere, -ier, -iere; partly from Old English -ere (from Latin -arius); partly from Old French -ier, -iere, from Latin -arius, -aria, -arium -ary; partly from Anglo-French -ere, from Latin -ator -or — more at -ary, -or

-ER[1] Defined for Kids

¹-er

adjective suffix or adverb suffix \ər\

Definition of -ER for Kids

—used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs of one syllable <hotter> <drier> and of some adjectives and adverbs of two or more syllables <shallower> <earlier>