eager1

[ee-ger] /ˈi gər/
adjective
1.
keen or ardent in desire or feeling; impatiently longing:
I am eager for news about them. He is eager to sing.
2.
characterized by or revealing great earnestness:
an eager look.
3.
Obsolete. keen; sharp; biting.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English egre < Anglo-French, Old French egre, aigre < Vulgar Latin *ācrus for Latin ācer sharp
Related forms
eagerly, adverb
eagerness, noun
Synonyms
1. enthusiastic, desirous. See avid. 2. fervent, zealous, fervid, intent, intense, earnest.
Antonyms
1, 2. indifferent, uninterested. 2. heedless.

eager2

[ee-ger, ey-ger] /ˈi gər, ˈeɪ gər/
noun, Chiefly British
1.
eagre.
Examples from the web for eager
  • Later that night they learned why the chief had been so eager for them to remain.
  • Small publishers are eager to try new things.
  • Im bored with raven, tough on valor, but am eager to battle the flock.
  • Andy is young, still learning about being a lawman and eager to prove himself.
  • These vast sums have not been extracted from Russia's spartan economy just to satisfy eager boffins.
  • Not content with these two moneypots, the more eager lenders began to combine them to make a third.
  • This is the conversation I've been eager to be a part of.
  • She traces her life from young, eager-to-please child to questioning adolescent.
  • The kids in the first and second grades seem so eager and bright.
  • The stage was set for war, and both sides were eager for a quick and glorious victory.
British Dictionary definitions for eager

eager1

/ˈiːɡə/
adjective
1.
(postpositive; often foll by to or for) impatiently desirous (of); anxious or avid (for): he was eager to see her departure
2.
characterized by or feeling expectancy or great desire: an eager look
3.
(archaic) tart or biting; sharp
Derived Forms
eagerly, adverb
eagerness, noun
Word Origin
C13: from Old French egre, from Latin acer sharp, keen

eager2

/ˈeɪɡə/
noun
1.
a variant spelling of eagre

eagre

/ˈeɪɡə/
noun
1.
a tidal bore, esp of the Humber or Severn estuary
Word Origin
C17: perhaps from Old English ēagor flood; compare Old English ēa river, water
Word Origin and History for eager
adj.

late 13c., "strenuous, ardent, fierce, angry," from Old French aigre "sour, acid; harsh, bitter, rough; eager greedy; lively, active, forceful," from Latin acrem (nominative acer) "keen, sharp, pointed, piercing; acute, ardent, zealous" (see acrid).

Meaning "full of keen desire" (early 14c.) seems to be peculiar to English. The English word kept an alternative meaning of "pungent, sharp-edged" till 19c. (e.g. Shakespeare's "The bitter clamour of two eager tongues," in "Richard II"). Related: Eagerly; eagerness.