Definition of "peer" []

• To look intently, searchingly, or with difficulty. See Synonyms at gaze. (verb-intransitive)
• To be partially visible; show: The moon peered from behind dark clouds. (verb-intransitive)
• A person who has equal standing with another or others, as in rank, class, or age: children who are easily influenced by their peers. (noun)
• A nobleman. (noun)
• A man who holds a peerage by descent or appointment. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Too often, she says, the phrase "peer pressure" is used negatively."
• "I'm using the term peer-review in an inaccurate way; I refer not just to moderation in journals, but the informal network used to decide what's worth examining and what's not."
• "The term peer-review refers to two confusingly related processes."