Etymograph

English

leer

Exact development uncertain, but apparently from a verb *leer (“to make a face, look sideways”), from leer (“cheek, face, profile”).

Another origin of leer

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱlew-‘to hear’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱlews-‘temple of the forehead, cheek’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hleuzą‘ear, cheek’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hleuʀreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150hlēor‘face, cheek, profile’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ler
  7. Englishtodayleer

Today it means

verb To look sideways or obliquely; now especially with sexual desire or malicious intent.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “leer”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / leer

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