queer - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com

Queer originally just meant "weird," but it's unfortunately evolved into an offensive term for "homosexual."

Like many words, queer has many meanings. One is "odd," as in "I feel kind of queer today." The other is "gay." Calling someone queer is a slur: it has about the same meaning and level of offensiveness as fag. As a verb, queering can mean to endanger or expose to risk, and also to hinder, thwart, foil, or baffle. As usual, you can figure out which meaning of queer someone intends by the other words around it.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: queer

1	adj	beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
2	adj n	homosexual or arousing homosexual desires offensive term for an openly homosexual man
3	v	hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: queer

1

adj beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

“something definitely queer about this town”

Synonyms:: curious, funny, odd, peculiar, rum, rummy, singular

: strange, unusual
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

2

adj homosexual or arousing homosexual desires

Synonyms:: gay, homophile

: homosexual
sexually attracted to members of your own sex

n offensive term for an openly homosexual man

Synonyms:: fag, faggot, fagot, fairy, nance, pansy, poof, poove, pouf, queen

Type of:: gay man, shirtlifter
a homosexual man

3

v hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of

Synonyms:: baffle, bilk, cross, foil, frustrate, scotch, spoil, thwart

Types:: show 10 types...; hide 10 types...; disappoint, let down
fail to meet the hopes or expectations of; dash
destroy or break; short-circuit
hamper the progress of; impede; ruin
destroy or cause to fail; betray, fail
disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake; come short, fall short
fail to meet (expectations or standards); disenchant, disillusion
free from enchantment; undo
cause the ruin or downfall of; break
cause the failure or ruin of; shipwreck
ruin utterly

Type of:: forbid, foreclose, forestall, preclude, prevent
keep from happening or arising; make impossible

v put in a dangerous, disadvantageous, or difficult position

Synonyms:: endanger, expose, peril, scupper

Types:: compromise
expose or make liable to danger, suspicion, or disrepute

Type of:: affect, bear on, bear upon, impact, touch, touch on
have an effect upon