From earlier gyr, probably from Dutch gieren (“to roar with laughter, laugh loudly”) (related to German gieren (“to gape, snap”)); or from Dutch gekscheren (“to jeer”, literally “to shear the fool”), from gek (“a fool”) (see geck) + scheren (“to shear”) (see shear (verb)). The OED states no verifiable connection to English cheer.
Meanings
A mocking remark or reflection.
1711, Jonathan Swift, The Fable of Midas, in The Works of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Vol XII, Sir Walter Scott, ed., Edinburgh: Archibald Constable and Co., 1824, pages 302-5,
Midas, exposed to all their jeers, Had lost his art, and kept his ears.
From earlier gyr, probably from Dutch gieren (“to roar with laughter, laugh loudly”) (related to German gieren (“to gape, snap”)); or from Dutch gekscheren (“to jeer”, literally “to shear the fool”), from gek (“a fool”) (see geck) + scheren (“to shear”) (see shear (verb)). The OED states no verifiable connection to English cheer.
Meanings
(intransitive, with at) To utter sarcastic or mocking comments; to speak with mockery or derision; to use taunting language.
At the end of a frantic first 45 minutes, there was still time for Charlie Adam to strike the bar from 20 yards before referee Atkinson departed to a deafening chorus of jeering from Everton's fans. 2011 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Everton 0 - 2 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:
But when he saw her toy, and gibe, and geare, / And passe the bonds of modest merimake, / Her dalliance he despisd, and follies did forsake. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 21:
(archaic, transitive) To mock; treat with mockery; to taunt.
And if we cannot jeer them, we jeer ourselves. 1625 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, The Staple of Newes. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Robert Allot […], published 1631, →OCLC, (please specify the page), (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
de spotten (to scoff or mock) · pl wyśmiewać (to scoff or mock) · mi pepehatū (to scoff or mock) · eo moki (to scoff or mock) · es abuchear (to scoff or mock) · pt zombar (to scoff or mock) · ia derider (to scoff or mock) · grc χλευάζω (to scoff or mock) · gd mag (to scoff or mock) · sv pika (to scoff or mock) · pl kpić (to scoff or mock) · bg подигравам се (to scoff or mock) · pt escarnecer (to scoff or mock) · ka გამასხარავება (to scoff or mock) · la cavillor (to scoff or mock) · ca riure's (d'algú) (to scoff or mock) · ru высме́ивать (to scoff or mock) · bg надсмивам се (to scoff or mock) · ca mofar-se (to scoff or mock) · it motteggiare (to scoff or mock) · mi pehapehatū (to scoff or mock) · lv ņirgāties (to scoff or mock) · ka დაცინვა (to scoff or mock) · ru pf (to scoff or mock) · ja 嘲る (to scoff or mock) · es burlarse (to scoff or mock) · ja 冷やかす (to scoff or mock) · sv smäda (to scoff or mock) · cmn 嘲弄 (to scoff or mock) · cmn 嘲笑 (to scoff or mock) · ca escarnir (to scoff or mock) · fr moquer (to scoff or mock) · eo ŝerci (to scoff or mock) · grc σκώπτω (to scoff or mock) · sv häckla (to scoff or mock) · fi ilkkua (to scoff or mock) · pt ridicularizar (to scoff or mock) · vo kofön (to scoff or mock) · ru вы́смеять (to scoff or mock) · fr railler (to scoff or mock) · mi whakatea (to scoff or mock) · ja 野次る (to scoff or mock) · ka სასაცილოდ აგდება (to scoff or mock) · fi pilkata (to scoff or mock) · it deridere (to scoff or mock) · it sbeffeggiare (to scoff or mock) · cs posmívat se (to scoff or mock) · vi chế giễu (to scoff or mock) · sh rugati se (to scoff or mock) · mi taunu (to scoff or mock) · ca fotre's (d'algú) (to scoff or mock) · nl spotten (to scoff or mock) · it schernire (to scoff or mock) · ca fer befa (to scoff or mock)
(in-plural) An assemblage or combination of tackles, for hoisting or lowering the yards of a ship.
In the nineteenth century, 1811 to be exact, the jeers were unrove after the yard was slung, the weight of the yard being borne by chain slings. The jeers used then were a treble block lashed to the mast head through a hole in the center of the top 1984, James Lees, The masting and rigging of English ships of war, 1625-1860, page 65:
de Fall (gear; tackle) · it drizza (gear; tackle) · it paranco (gear; tackle) · it cavo (gear; tackle) · fi taljasto (nautical: assemblage for hoisting yards)