Revised 2007 More entries for "queer"
queeradjective2 & noun1
Factsheet
What does the word queer mean?
There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the word queer, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
queer has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
How common is the word queer?
About 1occurrence per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 0.01 |
| 1760 | 0.01 |
| 1770 | 0.01 |
| 1780 | 0.011 |
| 1790 | 0.013 |
| 1800 | 0.015 |
| 1810 | 0.19 |
| 1820 | 0.3 |
| 1830 | 0.47 |
| 1840 | 0.67 |
| 1850 | 0.89 |
| 1860 | 1.2 |
| 1870 | 1.4 |
| 1880 | 1.8 |
| 1890 | 2.3 |
| 1900 | 2.6 |
| 1910 | 2.9 |
| 1920 | 3.0 |
| 1930 | 2.9 |
| 1940 | 2.5 |
| 1950 | 1.7 |
| 1960 | 1.2 |
| 1970 | 0.84 |
| 1980 | 0.8 |
| 1990 | 1.0 |
| 2000 | 1.3 |
| 2010 | 1.5 |
How is the word queer pronounced?
British English
/kwɪə/
kweer
U.S. English
/kwɪ(ə)r/
kwiur
Where does the word queer come from?
Earliest known use
mid 1500s
The earliest known use of the word queer is in the mid 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for queer is from 1567, in the writing of Thomas Harman, writer on vagabonds.
queer is of unknown origin.
Nearby entries
- queen's wreath, n.1922–
- queen's yellow, n.1806–79
- queen triggerfish, n.1906–
- queen truss, n.1840–
- queen wasp, n.1724–
- queen-widow, n.a1623–
- queenwood, n.1873–
- queeny, adj.1902–
- queer, n.²1826–
- queer, adj.¹?a1513–
- queer, adj.² & n.¹1567–
- queer, v.¹c1390–
- queer, v.²1778–
- queerbaiting, n.1956–
- queer-bash, v.1964–
- queer-basher, n.1970–
- queer-bashing, n.1970–
- queercore, n.1991–
- queer cuffin, n.1567–1855
- queerdom, n.1961–
- queerer, n.a1800–
Meaning & use
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Etymology
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for queer, adj.² & n.¹
queer, adj.2 & n.1 was revised in December 2007
queer, adj.2 & n.1 was last modified in July 2023
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into queer, adj.2 & n.1 in July 2023.
Earlier versions of queer, adj.2 & n.1 were published in:
OED First Edition (1902)
OED Second Edition (1989)
Cite
Chicago
Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “”, . <>
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MLA9
“”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, , <>
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