Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
Leper — Lep er (l[e^]p [ e]r), n. [OE. lepre leprosy, F. l[ e]pre, L. leprae, lepra, fr. Gr. le pra, fr. lepro s scaly, fr. le pos scale, le pein to peel.] A person affected with leprosy. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
leper — one afflicted with leprosy, late 14c., from L.L. lepra, from Gk. lepra leprosy, from fem. of lepros (adj.) scaly, from leops a scale, related to lepein to peel, from lopos a peel, from PIE root *lep to peel, scale (see LEAF … Etymology dictionary
leper — ► NOUN 1) a person suffering from leprosy. 2) a person who is shunned by others. ORIGIN Old French lepre, from Greek lepros scaly … English terms dictionary
leper — [lep′ər] n. [ME lepre, leprosy < OFr < LL lepra (L leprae, pl.) < Gr < lepros, rough, scaly < lepein, to peel < IE base * lep , to peel off, scale > OE læfer, rush, reed] 1. a person having leprosy 2. a person to be shunned… … English World dictionary
leper — [[t]le̱pə(r)[/t]] lepers 1) N COUNT A leper is a person who has leprosy. 2) N COUNT If you refer to someone as a leper, you mean that people in their community avoid them because they have done something that has shocked or offended people. The… … English dictionary
leper — lep|er [ˈlepə US ər] n [Date: 1300 1400; Origin: leper leprosy (13 16 centuries), from Old French, from Late Latin lepra, from Greek, from lepein to remove skin ] 1.) someone who has leprosy 2.) someone that people avoid because they have done… … Dictionary of contemporary English
leper — UK [ˈlepə(r)] / US [ˈlepər] noun [countable] Word forms leper : singular leper plural lepers 1) someone who has leprosy 2) someone who people refuse to talk to or work with because they do not like them … English dictionary
leper — [13] Etymologically, a person suffering from leprosy has ‘scaly’ skin. The Greek word for ‘scale’ was lépos or lepís. From them was derived the adjective leprós ‘scaly’, whose feminine form léprā was used as a noun meaning ‘leprosy’. This passed… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
leper — noun 1》 a person suffering from leprosy. 2》 a person who is shunned by others. Origin ME: prob. from an attributive use of leper leprosy , from OFr. lepre, via L. from Gk lepra, feminine of lepros scaly … English new terms dictionary
leper — noun (C) 1 someone who suffers from the disease of leprosy 2 someone that people avoid because they have done something that people disapprove of: They treated me as if I was some kind of leper … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
leper — /ˈlɛpə / (say lepuh) noun 1. a person affected with leprosy. 2. a person ostracised by society: *Susie the leper, the outcast, the untouchable, was literally crawling. –sutton woodfield, 1960. {Middle English lepre, from Old French: leprosy, from …
