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

photographer

Someone who takes photographs, especially professionally.

The photographer asks everyone to smile before taking the picture.

Etymology

The agent ending names the person who makes photographs. The underlying word describes recording images with light.

More examples

  • We hired a photographer for our wedding.
  • Amateur photographers gather at the lake to capture the sunrise.
  • The newspaper sent a photographer to cover the parade.

Forms

photographer · photographers

photograph noun — An image made by recording light.

photography noun — The practice or art of taking photographs.

Similar words

photojournalist
Specifically a photographer who documents news events for publication.
shutterbug
An informal term for an enthusiastic photographer, often an amateur.