peer into — to look closely or carefully into something, especially when it is difficult to see clearly
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to look closely or carefully into something, especially when it is difficult to see clearly
Pronunciation (IPA): /pɪr ˈɪntu/
Example Sentences
- The detective peered into the suspect's bag, hoping to find evidence.
- My grandmother always peers into the oven every five minutes when baking cookies.
- He peered into the telescope, amazed by the stars he could see.
peer into
VERB[/pɪr ˈɪntu/]
to look closely or carefully into something, especially when it is difficult to see clearly
to look closely or carefully into something, especially when it is difficult to see clearly
Move near into position to peer clear into the truth!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The phrasal verb 'peer into' combines Middle English 'peer' (originally meaning 'equal' or 'person of equal status') which developed the sense of 'to look closely or searchingly' by analogy with equal observation, and the preposition 'into' (from Old English 'in' meaning within). The phrase emerged as these elements fused into a single semantic unit meaning 'to look closely within or through'.
Breakdown
peer (to gaze intently, from Middle English peer meaning 'equal one' → 'to look at as an equal' → 'to observe closely') + into (preposition indicating direction or penetration, from Old English 'in' meaning within or inside).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The detective peered into the suspect's bag, hoping to find evidence.”
“My grandmother always peers into the oven every five minutes when baking cookies.”
“He peered into the telescope, amazed by the stars he could see.”
“She peered into her empty wallet and sighed deeply.”
📚Related Words
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