starern.
/ˈstɛːrə/, U.S. /ˈstɛrər/ 1. A person who stares.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > one who sees > [noun] > starer or gazer
gazer1548
starer1600
gogglea1625
stare-about1631
gapera1637
gloater1659
ogler1692
gilly-gaupus?1719
gape-seed1885
gongoozler1904
gawker1951
gawper1965
1600 R. S. tr. P. de Mornay Fowre Bks. iv. ix. 482 They [in the Church of Rome] become all together idle gasers and starers [Fr. spectateurs otieux] vpon the Priest, which eateth and drinketh.
1663 R. Boyle Some Considerations Usefulnesse Exper. Nat. Philos. i. v. 116 The vulgar astonishment of an unlettered Starer.
1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 20. ⁋2 A kind of Men, whom I choose to call Starers, that without any Regard to Time, Place, or Modesty, disturb a large Company with their impertinent Eyes.
1767 ‘Coriat Junior’ Another Traveller! I. 338 Exhibiting their mummeries..to thousands of stupid starers.
1796 F. Burney Camilla IV. viii. i. 218 They regularly drew forth either the master or the man to make another starer at their singular proceedings.
1865 W. G. Palgrave Narr. Journey through Arabia I. 140 We passed down the street, lined with starers at the King and us.
1880 R. Browning Clive in Dramatic Idyls 154 I'll engage no glance was sent That way by a single starer.
1938 Times 1 Feb. 15/4 A French starer stares because he is really interested.
1991 F. P. Wilson Sibs 21 Some of the men present made some rude comments, but most just stared... One of the starers was Rob.
2003 F. Richardson Tree Root & River Rat i. 3 If he wore his heavy plaid shirt, open at the collar, only starers noticed the weird contortions of his spine.
2. colloquial. In plural. Eyeglasses attached to a long handle. Cf. peeper n.2 2b. Now historical.
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the world > health and disease > healing > ophthalmology or optometry > aids to defective vision > [noun] > spectacles > lorgnette
lorgnette1803
starer1894
lorgnon1898
1894 ‘A. Hope’ Dolly Dialogues iii. 19 When I was ushered in, Lady Mickleham put up her ‘starers’.
1904 C. Sidgwick Scenes Jewish Life 135 His mother put up her ‘starers’, and addressed Eva in French.
1915 E. Noble Bottle-fillers 277 Aunt Mary leaned forward attempting with her starers to pierce the veil.
1948 Times 10 Nov. 5/4 Ladies who carried glasses having long shafts, familiarly known as ‘starers’, could be truly formidable.
2011 S. Connor Paraphernalia vi. 79 A lorgnette (known in Edwardian times as ‘starers’).
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1600