▪ I. peery, n. Sc. and north.
(ˈpɪərɪ)
Also piry, peary, peerie.
[perh. dim. of pere, pear, from its shape.]
A peg-top, made to spin with a string.
| 1805 McIndoe Moses's Compl. Poems 40 Bowls, and ba's, and taps, and pirys. 1816 Scott Antiq. xx, Mony's the peery and the tap I worked for him langsyne. 1879 Thomson & Tait Nat. Phil. I. i. §106 It is the case of a common spinning-top (peery), spinning on a very fine point. 1882 Life J. Clerk Maxwell iii. 51 He..took some interest in the spinning of ‘pearies’. |
▪ II. peery, a.1
(ˈpɪərɪ)
[f. peer v.2 + -y.]
Inclined to peer; given to peering or looking narrowly or curiously; hence, prying, inquisitive, suspicious.
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Peery, fearful, shy, sly. 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1811) V. 71 They engaged a peery servant..to watch all her motions. 1821 Scott Kenilw. ix, Two peery gray eyes, which had a droll obliquity of vision. ― Pirate xxxi, And here..we have been wasting our precious time, till folk are grown very peery. 1891 Temple Bar Mag. July 365 Eyes small, bright, ‘peery’, and quick glancing. |
b. Rogues' Cant. Knowing, sly.
| a 1757 Cibber Refusal iii. (1777) 49 Are you peery, as the cant is? In short do you know what I would be at now? 1804 Collins Scripscrap 24 An old peery Sharper, deep vers'd in the game. |
▪ III. peery, a.2
see under peer n.