DictionaryRoot: -er
English

-er

a person or thing that does something

Forms

  • -er
  • -r — Used after some bases ending in e.

Origin

Old English -ere, generally traced through Germanic to Latin -arius.

Note

It can name a tool as readily as a person. The comparison ending in taller has a different history.

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noun

putter

A golfer who makes short strokes on the green.

Etymology

The agent ending names the person who putts. A putter in this sense is a golfer making the short controlled strokes used on the green.

Full entry

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