English

Proper noun

Dier

1. A surname​.

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Old High German duri, a northern variant of turi, from Proto-Germanic *durz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /diːə̯/
• Rhymes: -iːə
• Homophone: dier

Noun

Dier f ‎(plural Dieren)

1. door

English

Noun

dier ‎(plural diers)

1. One who dies.
   • Don DeLillo, White Noise

     It's a way of controlling death. A way of gaining the ultimate upper hand. Be the killer for a change. Let someone else be the dier.

   • 2006, Shankar Mokashi Punekar, Awadheswari

     Since other languages are structurally constrained to say who it was who died and since the original leaves the identity of the dier unexpressed, any translation in the target language is going to be incorrect.

Usage notes

• Used in abstract and philosophical contexts, rather than in discussing a known individual who has died. Compare deceased.

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch dier, from Old Dutch *dior, from Proto-Germanic *deuzą.

Noun

dier ‎(plural diere)

1. animal
2. beast; brute

Dutch

Picture dictionary
organisme
zoogdier vis amfibie reptiel vogel insect

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /diːr/, /diər/

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch *dior, from Proto-Germanic *deuzą, cognate with German Tier.

Noun

dier n ‎(plural dieren, diminutive diertje n)

1. animal

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Determiner

dier

1. (demonstrative) her, their, the latter's (genitive feminine singular and genitive plural of die).

   De verdachte heeft zich samen met een vriend, haar dochter en dier vriend schuldig gemaakt aan de moord op haar echtgenoot [...] (from a verdict of the Court of Justice at 's-Gravenhage, 2011 )

   The accused (woman) is guilty of having murdered her husband in cooperation with a friend, her daughter and the latter's friend [...]

Usage notes

Dier is used in a similar way as the possessive determiners haar and hun. It is rare in spoken Dutch, but used occasionally in writing to avoid confusion. Compare:

• Zij vertelde van haar dochter en haar man.‎ ― She told about her daughter and her (own) husband.
• Zij vertelde van haar dochter en dier man.‎ ― She told about her daughter and the latter's husband.

The corresponding masculine and neuter singular form is diens.

Anagrams

• drie, ried

Elfdalian

Etymology

From Old Norse þeir, þær, from Proto-Germanic *þai. Cognate with Swedish de.

Pronoun

dier

1. they

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Old High German durri, from Proto-Germanic *þursuz. Cognate with German dürr, Dutch dor, Swedish torr, Icelandic þurr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /diːə̯/
• Rhymes: -iːə
• Homophone: Dier

Adjective

dier ‎(masculine dieren, neuter diert, comparative méi dier, superlative am diersten)

1. (of plants and trees) dry, dead

Declension