neer Now dial.
(nɪə(r))
Forms: 4–5, 9 nere, 5–6, 9 neer, 6, 9 neir(e, 9 niere; 6 neare, 8–9 near, (8 inear, 9 ear).
[ME. nēre, perh. repr. an OE. *néora or *néore = MDu. niere fem. (nire, nyre, Du. nier), MLG. nêre, OHG. nioro, niero masc. (G. niere fem.), ON. n{yacu}ra neut. (Norw. nyra, nyre, Da. nyre; Sw. njure masc.), of uncertain origin.]
A kidney.
In common dial. use in the northern, north-midland, and eastern counties; the Suffolk nire, nyre is prob. from ON.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter lxxii. 21 Mi neres ere torned for vnquert. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxii. (Laurence) 12 It brakis þe stane, Þat man in bledyr ore nere has tane. c 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 52 Þe hert of schepe, þe nere þou take. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 353/1 Neere of a beest, ren. 1535 Coverdale Isa. xxxiv. 6 With the fatnesse of neeres of the wethers. 1549 Compl. Scot. vi. 67 Tansay, that is gude to purge the neiris. 1595 Duncan App. Etymol. (E.D.S.) 73 Ren, the neire. 1788 W. Marshall Yorksh. II. 337 In-ear, or Near, the kidney. 1828 Carr Craven Gloss. 1841 Hamilton Nugæ Lit. 348 Will you eat a part of the niere? 1868 G. Macdonald R. Falconer I. 41, I would like a dish o' your chits and nears. |
b. attrib., as neer-creesh, neer-end, neer-fat, neer-strings.
| 1444 Aberdeen Regr. (1844) I. 11 That na fleshowar..tak oute of ony mutonne the neris or the nerecress. 1824 Mactaggart Gallovid. Encycl. s.v. Neers, Neer-strings, those strings which are connected with the kidneys. 1877 N.W. Linc. Gloss s.v., The near-end of a loin of veal is the part next the kidneys. 1886 S.W. Linc. Gloss., Near-fat, the fat round the kidneys in a sheep, pig, or other animal. |