Eager

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːɡə(ɹ)

From Middle English eger, from Old French egre (French aigre) , from Latin acer ("sharp, keen"); see acid, acerb, etc. Compare vinegar, alegar.

Full definition of eager

Adjective

1. (obsolete) Sharp; sour; acid.
• Shakespearelike eager droppings into milk
2. (obsolete) Sharp; keen; bitter; severe.
• Shakespeareeager words
• Shakespearea nipping and an eager air
3. Excited by desire in the pursuit of any object; ardent to pursue, perform, or obtain; keenly desirous; hotly longing; earnest; zealous; impetuous; vehement.
• KebleWhen to her eager lips is brought
  Her infant's thrilling kiss.
• Hawthornea crowd of eager and curious schoolboys
• 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter 19, When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. …. The captive made no resistance and came not only quietly but in a series of eager little rushes like a timid dog on a choke chain.
4. The hounds were eager in the chase.
   I was eager to show my teacher how much I'd learned over the holidays.
   You stayed up all night to get to the front of the queue. You must be very eager to get tickets.
5. Brittle; inflexible; not ductile.
• John LockeGold will be sometimes so eager, as artists call it, that it will as little endure the hammer as glass itself.
6. (comptheory) Not employing lazy evaluation; calculating results immediately, rather than deferring calculation until they are required.an eager algorithm

Synonyms

• raring

Derived terms

• eager beaver
• eagerly
• eagerness

See eagre.

Noun

1. Alternative form of eagre (tidal bore).

Anagrams

• agree, eagre