heir

== English == === Alternative forms === heire (obsolete) === Etymology === From Middle English heir, from Anglo-Norman eir, heir, from Latin hērēs. === Pronunciation === (non-rhotic) (England) (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɛə̯/, [ˈɛə̯] (Lancashire, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /ˈɜː/, [ˈɜː] (Australian) IPA(key): /ˈeː/, [ˈeː] (New Zealand) (without the cheer–chair merger) IPA(key): /ˈe̝ə̯/, [ˈe̝ə̯] (cheer–chair merger) IPA(key): /ˈiə̯/, [ˈiə̯] (General South African) IPA(key): /ˈɛː/, [ˈɛː] (rhotic) (US, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈɛɚ/, [ˈɛɚ] ~ [ˈɛɹ̩] (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˈeɹ/, [ˈeɹ] Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ) Hyphenation: heir Homophones: air, Ayr, hair (h-dropping), eyre, are (“unit of measurement”), err (one pronunciation), e'er (US); ear (cheer–chair merger); err (fair–fur merger) === Noun === heir (plural heirs) Someone who inherits, or is designated to inherit, the property of another. Synonyms: (law) beneficiary, inheritor One who inherits, or has been designated to inherit, a hereditary title or office. Synonym: inheritor Coordinate term: spare A successor in a role, representing continuity with the predecessor. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:successor ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === heir (third-person singular simple present heirs, present participle heiring, simple past and past participle heired) (ambitransitive) To inherit. 1950, quoted in Our Garst family in America (page 27) […] Leonard Houtz & John Myer to be executors to this my last will & testament & lastly my children shall heir equally, one as much as the other. ==== See also ==== === Anagrams === Hire, ReHi, hire, rehi == Dutch == === Pronunciation === === Noun === heir n (plural heiren, diminutive heirtje n) (archaic) alternative spelling of heer (“army”) ==== Derived terms ==== == Middle English == === Etymology 1 === From Anglo-Norman heir, aire (Old French eir), from Latin hēres (“heir”). ==== Noun ==== heir (plural heires) heir ===== Alternative forms ===== heire, heier, eir, eire, eier, eiȝer, hair, haire, air, aire, are, her, here, hier, heyr, heyre, heyer, eyr, eyre, eyer, eyur, hayr, hayre, ayr, ayre, ayer, ayere, ayar, hyer nayr, nayre, nayer, nere (by rebracketing of an heir) ===== Descendants ===== English: heir Scots: heir → Welsh: aer ==== References ==== “heir, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007. === Etymology 2 === ==== Noun ==== heir alternative form of her (“hair”) === Etymology 3 === ==== Noun ==== heir alternative form of here (“army”) === Etymology 4 === ==== Pronoun ==== heir alternative form of hire (“her”) === Etymology 5 === ==== Noun ==== heir alternative form of here (“haircloth”) === Etymology 6 === ==== Adverb ==== heir alternative form of her (“here”) === Etymology 7 === ==== Determiner ==== heir alternative form of here (“their”)