Compeer
[kəm-PEER]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Middle English, 15th century
1.
A person of equal rank, status, or ability.
Examples of Compeer in a sentence
"The company founder met her lawyer in New York along with his compeer from a firm in Los Angeles to discuss moving the head office to the West Coast."
"Richard was a compeer of my mother’s from her office, but I had no idea he’d once been famous as a folk singer."
About Compeer
“Compeer” is based on the Middle English “comper,” from the Latin “compater,” meaning “first cousin” or “good friend.”
Did you Know?
“Compeer” is a term with many equivalents, most notably the Spanish “compadre,” meaning “friend or companion”; the Sicilian “cumpari,” meaning “buddy”; and the modern American term “goombah.” This last term, meaning “pal” or “associate,” is the product of English speakers mishearing the Southern Italian pronunciation of “cumpari,” which does not emphasize the final syllable. “Goombah” has a close relative in Peru, Chile, and Argentina, where “cumpa” means “buddy.” The English “compeer” builds on the Middle English “comper” by adding the term “peer,” so that the term denotes a close companion of equal standing.
