fleer

Possibly from a Scandinavian source, compare Norwegian bokmål flire (“to giggle”), Jutish Danish flire.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /flɪə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /flɪɚ/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

fleer (third-person singular simple present fleers, present participle fleering, simple past and past participle fleered)

1. (archaic) To make a wry face in contempt, or to grin in scorn

   Synonyms: deride, sneer, mock, gibe; see also Thesaurus:deride

   • 1599, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, act 5, scene 1:

     LEONATO. Tush, tush, man! never fleer and jest at me:
     I speak not like a dotard nor a fool,
     As, under privilege of age, to brag
     What I have done being young, or what would do,
     Were I not old.

   • 1837, Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History:

     [I]n short, sneering and fleering at him in her cold barren way[.]

2. (archaic) To grin with an air of civility; to leer.

   Synonyms: fligger; see also Thesaurus:to smile

   • 1552, Hugh Latimer, The Fifth Sermon Preached on the Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Trinity, 1552; republished in The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, and Constant Martyr of Jesus Christ, Hugh Latimer, Some Time Bishop of Worcester, volume 2, London: James Duncan, 1824, page 212:

     In the time of popery, before the gospel came amongst us, we went to burials with weeping and wailing, as though there were no God: but since the gospel came unto us, I have heard say, that in some places they go with the corses grinning and flearing, as though they went to a bear-baiting; […]

fleer (uncountable)

1. (archaic) Mockery; derision.
   • 1720, Jonathan Swift, To Stella, visiting me in my sickness:

     […] And flattery tipt with nauseous fleer,
     And guilty shame, and servile fear,
     Envy, and cruelty, and pride,
     Will in your tainted heart preside.

From flee +‎ -er.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfliːə(ɹ)/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -iːə(ɹ)

fleer (plural fleers)

1. One who flees.
   • 1598, R. Grenewey, Annales, translation of original by Tacitus:

     Which fear of the fleers away was no less ignominious, then if […] they had turned their backs to the enemie.

• Freel, refel