queer
UK[kwɪə(r)]US[kwɪr]
adj
Strange, odd, or unusual
adj
(dated or offensive) Not feeling well; slightly ill
adj
Relating to or identifying with a sexual or gender identity that does not correspond to established ideas of heterosexuality and traditional gender roles
n
(informal, sometimes offensive) A person who identifies as queer
v
(informal) To spoil or ruin something
Etymology
The word 'queer' entered English in the early 16th century from German, likely from the Middle High German 'twer' meaning 'oblique' or 'crosswise'. This Germanic root is thought to be related to the Old English 'thweorh' meaning 'perverse' or 'crooked', and further back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to turn' or 'to twist'. The original sense of 'strange' or 'peculiar' derived from the idea of something being 'off-center' or not straight. In the late 19th century, it began to be used as a derogatory term for homosexual men, implying deviance. In a significant semantic reclamation during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the LGBTQ+ community adopted 'queer' as an umbrella, positive term for non-normative sexual and gender identities, transforming its meaning from 'odd' to a specific identifier challenging traditional categories.
Analysis
The word 'queer' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes in its modern English spelling. Its core form has remained intact.
Examples
There was a queer noise coming from the old engine.
The scandal queered his chances of being elected.
Queer theory examines society's construction of normative gender and sexuality.