leerer

Leerer is a German noun that denotes an agent of the verb leeren, meaning to empty. In this sense, a Leerer is someone or something that performs the act of emptying a container, space, or vessel. The form is an example of the common German pattern of creating agent nouns by adding the suffix -er to a verb stem.

In usage, Leerer is unusual in ordinary speech and writing. It is mainly encountered in linguistic explanations of German word formation, in grammar discussions about agent nouns, or in specialized technical contexts where a explicit label for the actor is needed. In everyday prose, speakers typically express the idea with a phrase such as “the person who empties” or use a passive construction rather than employing Leerer as a stand-alone noun.

Leerer can also occur as a surname in German-speaking regions, though in that context the term has no semantic relation to the verb meaning. As with many German agent nouns, the gender and plural of Leerer follow standard grammar rules for masculine nouns ending in -er, with usage determined by the grammatical context.

In English-language discussions, Leerer is rarely used outside linguistic or descriptive treatment of German morphology, where it is usually translated as “emptier.” The term provides a concise example of how German forms agent nouns from verbs. See also leer, leeren, Leere, and other German agent-noun formations.