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

reader

A book of selected texts for learning or study.

The reader includes short stories and essays.

Etymology

The agent-like ending can name something associated with reading as well as a person who reads. A reader is a book assembled to supply suitable reading material for study.

More examples

  • Students brought their readers to class.
  • The beginner’s reader used short sentences.
  • He edited a reader on American political thought.

Forms

reader · readers

Similar words

anthology
A collection of selected writings.
textbook
A teaching book that need not consist of selected readings.