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
cropper
A farmer who works rented land.
Etymology
The farmer’s name identifies the person through the crop produced. It is especially associated with farming another person’s land under a tenancy or crop-sharing arrangement.