peter

verb

pe·ter | \ ˈpē-tər

petered; petering; peters

Definition of peter

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : to diminish gradually and come to an end : give out —usually used with out novelists whose creative impetus seems largely to have petered out — The Times Literary Supplement (London)

2 : to become exhausted —usually used with out

peter

noun (1)

Definition of peter (Entry 2 of 4)

often vulgar

: penis

Peter

noun (2)

Pe·ter | \ ˈpē-tər

Definition of Peter (Entry 3 of 4)

1 : a fisherman of Galilee and one of the twelve apostles

2 : either of two hortatory letters written to early Christians and included as books of the New Testament — see Bible Table

Peter

biographical name

Pe·ter | \ ˈpē-tər

Definition of Peter (Entry 4 of 4)

circa 1050–1115 the Hermit French preacher of the 1st Crusade

Examples of peter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Photo: peter powell/epa-efe/rex/shutterstock Klopp could afford to be magnanimous knowing that Liverpool remains in the Premier League’s driver’s seat. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "Manchester City Is Back in the Premier League Race," 3 Jan. 2019 His dream for a European election with a clear-cut, pan-European policy platform is petering out now that fuel-tax protests have crippled Mr. Macron at home. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Europe’s Missing Vote," 27 Dec. 2018 Underwater, however, radio waves can only travel a few inches before petering out. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Clever New Tech Could Let Subs and Planes Talk Directly," 22 Aug. 2018 The flight to safety accompanying any global downturn would keep the dollar strong, even as America’s fiscal stimulus peters out after 2019. — The Economist, "Could a trade war derail global growth?," 21 June 2018 But as Reconstruction petered out and the white power structure reassembled itself, those gains evaporated. — Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, "‘A powerful story’: How freed slaves helped shape Virginia after the Civil War," 26 Mar. 2018 Eventually, the road peters out into the pier and the sea, where boys wade up to their waists, casting lines into the lazy surf. — Horatio Clare, Condé Nast Traveler, "Why You Should Go to Belize Now," 21 Dec. 2018 Icardi's miss proved to essentially be the last kick of the game, and the match petered out to a 0-0 draw. — SI.com, "AC Milan 0-0 Inter: Nightmare Night for Mauro Icardi Leaves Inter Kicking Themselves in Derby Draw," 4 Apr. 2018 Then in the second half of the season, the most ridiculous twist in a series full of ridiculous twists completely undercut the emotional resonance of everything that happened in the first half, and the season mostly petered out. — Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "Every season of American Horror Story so far, ranked," 12 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'peter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.