peter Synonyms & Antonyms

Word Forms & Grammar

peter (plural peters)

peter (third-person singular simple present peters, present participle petering, simple past and past participle petered)

Words That Rhyme With Peter

Origin of Peter

Origin 1: US, 1902, presumably from shared initial pe-.[1] Compare the use of other men’s names as slang terms for the penis, e.g., dick, willy, johnson, John Thomas, etc.

Origin 2: Unknown. Attested from the 18th century.[2] The Canting Academy defines peeter as “A portmantle”;[3] Green’s Dictionary of Slang list a variety of uses for peter – including trunk or portmanteau – in thieves’ cant in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.[2] The OED suggests that it may be related to St. Peter being the holder of the keys to God's Kingdom..mw-parser-output .maintenance-box{width:90%;margin:0.75em auto;border-width:1px;border-style:dashed;padding:0.25em}body.skin-vector-2022 .mw-parser-output .maintenance-box>table td p:last-of-type{margin-bottom:0.25em}.mw-parser-output .maintenance-box-image-cell{padding:0 0.5em}.mw-parser-output .request-box{margin:0.75em 1em 0.75em 1em;border:1px dashed var(--border-color-base,#999999);padding:0.25em;background:var(--background-color-base,#FFFFFF)}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .request-box table{margin-top:0.25em;margin-bottom:0.25em}.mw-parser-output .maintenance-box-blue{background-color:var(--wikt-palette-indigo-2,#E6E6FF);border:1px dashed var(--wikt-palette-indigo-9,#000061)}.mw-parser-output .maintenance-box-red{background-color:var(--wikt-palette-red-2,#FFE6E6);border:1px dashed var(--wikt-palette-red-9,#610000)}.mw-parser-output .maintenance-box-yellow{background-color:var(--wikt-palette-yellow-2,#FFFFE6);border:1px dashed var(--wikt-palette-yellow-9,#616100)}.mw-parser-output .maintenance-box-grey{background-color:var(--wikt-palette-grey-2,#F2F2F2);border:1px dashed var(--wikt-palette-grey-9,#303030)}.mw-parser-output .maintenance-box-orange{background-color:var(--wikt-palette-orange-2,#FFF2E6);border:1px dashed var(--wikt-palette-orange-9,#612F00)}(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Origin 3: Unknown; the following etymologies have been suggested:

Origin 4: Clipping of blue peter (“play a high card to call for trump”). See further etymology there.