Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A simplified spelling of were.
  • noun A man.
  • noun Wergild.
  • noun An obsolete form of weir.
  • A dialectal form of our.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete A man.
  • noun obsolete Wergild.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English wer, from Old English wer ("a male being, man, husband, hero"), from Proto-Germanic *weraz (“man”), from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós (“man, freeman”). Cognate with Middle High German wër ("man"), Swedish värbror ("brother-in-law"), Norwegian verfader ("father-in-law"), Latin vir ("man, husband").

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Examples

  • There was another young feller at the farm -- Joe Biddaford 'is name wer', that was praaperly sweet on 'er, tu;

    Five Tales John Galsworthy 1900

  • Biddaford 'is name wer', that was praaperly sweet on 'er, tu; I guess' e used to plague 'er wi' is attentions.

    Complete Project Gutenberg John Galsworthy Works John Galsworthy 1900

  • First there was Gerrard popping up to get that header a few minutes after half-time but still I was thinking 'wer'e done for'.

    Archive 2005-05-01 Minzo 2005

  • A corporation that says 'wer'e just a shoe company' but knows very well that they people making their shoes are being paid peanuts and work in atrocious conditions with no overtime pay and barely any rights of any kind.

    Archive 2005-08-01 Minzo 2005

  • First there was Gerrard popping up to get that header a few minutes after half-time but still I was thinking 'wer'e done for'.

    YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE! Minzo 2005

  • A corporation that says 'wer'e just a shoe company' but knows very well that they people making their shoes are being paid peanuts and work in atrocious conditions with no overtime pay and barely any rights of any kind.

    gahunda Minzo 2005

  • Thou, whom I make the adverfe part, to bear, aiu'wer'd thus: If I by chance fucceed what I write, (and that's a chance indeed) iow, I am not fo ftupid, or fo hard,

    The Works of the English Poets 1779

  • In foreign-exchange markets, the euro was a little lo wer against the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen.

    Asia Shares Down in Subdued Trading Colin Ng 2011

  • Seriously, dude, there's a reason fishing nets wer ...

    The Official THNTS FAQ Vol. 3 Tyler 2009

  • Seriously, dude, there's a reason fishing nets wer ...

    Cops make surprisingly good bartenders Tyler 2009

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