ER

Multiple Entries:
  ER    Er    er    -er    erbium  

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
ER/iːˈɑː(r)/

▶abbreviation

• 1 N. Amer. emergency room.

• 2 King Edward. [from L. Edwardus Rex.]

• 3 Queen Elizabeth. [from L. Elizabetha Regina.]

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Er

▶symbol the chemical element erbium.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
er/ɜː(r)/

▶exclamation expressing hesitation.

– origin C19: natural utterance.

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-er1

▶suffix

• 1 denoting a person or thing that performs a specified action or activity: farmer.

• 2 denoting a person or thing that has a specified attribute or form: two-wheeler.

• 3 denoting a person concerned with a specified thing: milliner.

• 4 denoting a person belonging to a specified place or group: city-dweller.

– origin OE -ere, of Gmc origin.

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-er2

▶suffix forming the comparative of adjectives (as in bigger) and adverbs (as in faster).

– origin OE suffix -ra (adjectival), -or (adverbial), of Gmc origin.

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-er3

▶suffix forming nouns used informally, usually by distortion of the root word: footer.

– origin prob. an extended use of -er1; orig. Rugby School sl., later adopted at Oxford University.

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-er4

▶suffix forming frequentative verbs such as patter.

– origin OE -erian, -rian, of Gmc origin.

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-er5

▶suffix forming nouns.

• 1 such as sampler. Compare with -ar1. [ending corresponding to L. -aris.]

  ■ such as butler, danger.

  [ending corresponding to L. -arius, -arium.]

  ■ such as border.

  [ending corresponding (via OFr. -eure) to L. -atura.]

  ■ such as laver.

  See laver2. [ending corresponding (via OFr. -eor) to L. -atorium.]

• 2 equivalent to -or1.

– origin via OFr. or Anglo-Norman Fr. (see above).

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-er6

▶suffix chiefly Law (forming nouns) denoting verbal action or a document effecting such action: disclaimer.

– origin from Anglo-Norman Fr. (infin. ending).

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erbium /ˈəːbɪəm/

▶noun the chemical element of atomic number 68, a soft silvery-white metal of the lanthanide series. (Symbol: Er)

– origin C19: mod. L., from Ytterby (see ytterbium).