English

Noun

lifer ‎(plural lifers)

1. A prisoner sentenced to life in prison.
2. A prisoner sentenced to transportation for life.
   • Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist

     They know what a clever lad he is; he'll be a lifer. They'll make the Artful nothing less than a lifer.

3. A person who makes a career in the military.
4. (birdwatching) A bird species seen for the first time by a birder who is keeping a list of all the species he or she has ever seen.
   • 2013, Sue Taylor, Best 100 Birdwatching Sites in Australia

     I saw six species of honeyeaters new to me and went home with 16 lifers and some bad sandfly bites.

Synonyms

• (bird species): life bird

See also

• (bird species): life list

Translations

Anagrams

• filer
• flier
• rifle

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *librō, Cognate with Old Frisian livere (West Frisian lever), Old Saxon levara, Dutch lever, Old High German lebara (German Leber), Old Norse lifr (Swedish lever).

Noun

lifer f

1. liver (interior organ)

Descendants

• English: liver