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Synonyms

peer

1 American  
[peer] / pɪər /

verb (used without object)

  1. to look narrowly or searchingly, as in the effort to discern clearly.

  2. to peep out or appear slightly.

  3. to come into view.

peer 2 American  
[peer] / pɪər /

noun

  1. a person of the same legal status.

    a jury of one's peers.

  2. a person who is equal to another in abilities, qualifications, age, background, and social status.

  3. something of equal worth or quality.

    a skyscraper without peer.

  4. a nobleman.

  5. a member of any of the five degrees of the nobility in Great Britain and Ireland (duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron).

  6. Computers.

    1. a network connected to one or more other networks in a way that routes traffic independently between them in a direct exchange of data.

    2. a computer or device that is connected to others in a network, either directly or through a server.

  7. Archaic. a companion.

verb (used without object)

  1. Computers. (of a network) to be connected with one or more other networks in a way that routes traffic independently between them in a direct exchange of data (usually followed bywith ).

peer 1 British  
/ 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

    1. a person who is an equal in social standing, rank, age, etc

    2. ( as modifier )

      peer pressure

  4. archaic a companion; mate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
peer 2 British  
/ pɪə /

verb

  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
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See peep 1.

Etymology

Origin of peer1

First recorded in 1560–70; perhaps a variant of appear

Origin of peer2

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English per, from Old French per, from Latin pār “equal, an equal, partner”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Educational environments are workplace adjacent; within them, we learn how to collaborate with peers in teams, as well as how to network to form study groups and friendships.

From The Wall Street Journal

Crowds have swelled on campuses in major cities to join memorials for peers.

From The Wall Street Journal

U.S. markets may also extend their relative underperformance against their international peers.

From Barron's

But of course, as a 40-something woman, I was already well aware of the stranglehold such topics have on my peer group.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the latest performance pales in comparison to similarly sized public peers.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.