petered

Verb (1)

peter (third-person singular simple present peters, present participle petering, simple past and past participle petered)

1. (intransitive) Chiefly followed by out: originally (mining), of a vein of ore: to be depleted of ore; now (generally), to diminish to nothing; to dwindle, to trail off.
   • I found a veinlet about 15 in. wide and very rich in gold. Trenching along its outcrop showed that it extended about 100 ft. and then pinched out altogether. A winze sunk on the veinlet showed that it "petered out" entirely at 25 or 30 ft.1910 T. Lane Carter: Mining in Nicaragua. Transactions of the American Institute of Mining Engineers. Vol. XLI. 1910. Canal Zone Meeting, October, 1910

Verb (2)

peter (third-person singular simple present peters, present participle petering, simple past and past participle petered)

1. (intransitive) Synonym of blue peter; to call for trump by throwing away a high card while holding a lower one.

   Synonyms:

   blue peter

See all 11 meanings of peter