-er

noun suffix

variants or less commonly -ier or -yer

1

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

2

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

3

: one that is

foreigner

—in all senses -yer in a few words after w, -ier in a few other words, otherwise -er

Word History

Etymology

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

Kids Definition

-er

1 of 2 adjective suffix or adverb suffix

ər;

after some vowels, often r;

after ŋ

usually gər

—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

-er

2 of 2 noun suffix

ər;

after some vowels, often r

variants also -ier

ē-ər, 

yər

or -yer

yər

1

a

: person connected with a particular job or occupation

furrier

lawyer

b

: person or thing belonging to or associated with

old-timer

c

: native of

New Yorker

: resident of

cottager

d

: one that has

double-decker

e

: one that produces or yields

porker

2

a

: one that does or performs (a specified action)

reporter

b

: one that is a suitable object of (a specified action)

broiler

3

: one that is

foreigner

Etymology

Old English -ra (adjective suffix) or Old English -or (adverb suffix)

derived from Old English -ere and Latin -arius (both noun suffixes)

Medical Definition

Er

1 of 2 symbol

erbium

ER

2 of 2 abbreviation

1

emergency room

2

extended-release