pryern.
/ˈprʌɪə/, U.S. /ˈpraɪ(ə)r/ A person who pries.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > [noun] > impertinent curiosity, prying > action of prying > person engaged in
pryer1552
peeper1607
poker1608
Paul Pry1826
snooper1889
nosy parker1896
stickybeak1917
nosy1931
curtain-twitcher1940
prodnose1965
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > [noun] > person conducting
searchera1382
inseerc1438
intracer?a1475
inquisitor?1504
investigator1538
peruser1549
tracer1552
scrutineer1557
examinant1587
revisitor1594
examiner?1608
examinator1612
researcher1615
indagator1620
ferret1629
pryer1674
probator1691
disquisitor1766
grubber1776
prober1777
grubbler1813
detective1850
expiscator1882
1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Pryer or loker after some myschiefe, limax.
?1578 W. Patten Let. Entertainm. Killingwoorth 83 A lystenar, or a priar in at ye chinks, or at the lokhole.
1607 J. Marston What you Will iii. i Pretious, what meanes he to go out so soone, Before the dusk of twilight might deceiue The doubtfull priers.
1674 R. Boyle Excellency Theol. ii. i. 127 Curious priers into nature.
1767 B. Thornton Treasure ii. i. 16 A pryer into secrets.
1790 J. Bruce Trav. Source Nile II. 577 The monks, the constant pryers into futurity.
1830 M. W. Shelley Fortunes Perkin Warbeck I. iv. 73 He looked the man he was—a prier into secrets.
1892 J. Skipsey Songs & Lyrics 45 From pryers vain, he hides his pain.
1955 Marion (Ohio) Star 4 Mar. 6/2 The U.S. is still a democracy with no Communist or Gestapo priers into personal affairs.
1988 Times (Nexis) 18 Mar. Anniversaries attract probers and pryers.
2002 Chicago Tribune (Nexis) 12 Apr. c10 You hear a lot of things, but if it wasn't intended for these ears, I'm not a pryer.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1552