verb
Peter
PEE-tuh
verb
1
To gradually decrease and come to nothing, especially followed by "out."
"Interest in the project petered out after a few months."
"The trail petered out into thick brush."
noun
1
Slang for a safe or strongbox, or, separately, for a prison cell.
"In old crime slang, cracking a "peter" meant breaking open a safe."
How to Use Peter
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost commonly used today as "peter out" — to slowly fizzle away to nothing.
When to use it
The safe/cell noun senses are dated criminal slang, rarely seen outside old fiction.
Common pairings
peter out
Word Forms
petered past tense, petered past tense, Peters plural, peters plural, peters plural, peters singular, peters singular
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Interest in the project _____ out after a few months.