err
verbinterjectionattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ɜː//
- United States//ɛɚ//
- United States//ɝ//
- New Zealand//øː//
- Scotland//ɛr//
To make a mistake.
verb
- 1
To make a mistake.
He erred in his calculations, and made many mistakes.
Artificial tests, then, can hardly err on the side of supplying too many opportunities for one bird to see another perform the act which is the model.
Gorbachev’s phrase, “fear to err,” is strikingly reminiscent of President Roosevelt’s phrase, “nothing to fear but fear itself.”
- 2
To sin.
To err is human, to forgive, divine.
- 3
archaicto stray.
Etymology
From Middle English erren, from Old French errer (“to wander, err, mistake”), from Latin errō (“wander, stray, err, mistake”, verb), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ers- (“to be angry, lose one's temper”). Cognate with Old English eorre, ierre (“anger, wrath, ire”), Old English iersian (“to be angry with, rage, irritate, provoke”), Old English ierre (“wandering, gone astray, confused”).
interjection
- 1
Elongated form of er (“sound of hesitation”).
Err... what did you just say?
Forms
- past tense
- erred
- past participle
- erred
- present participle
- erring
- third person singular
- errs