leer

記事の引用からどうぞ。

A Peeping Tom caught looking into a young Pennsylvania girl’s bedroom in the dead of the night has been identified as a creep who works with children one state over, according to police and a report.

Winfield Becker, a 48-year-old athletic director for a tony New Jersey school district, was seen peering through the bedroom window of his young neighbor in Cabin Run, Bucks County, around 10:40 p.m. on Aug. 6, the Plumstead Township police said. 

The sick snooper was cuffed after the homeowner turned video surveillance over to cops. 

The footage allegedly shows Becker leering at the girl from just outside her window, according to the police report. 

（中略）

In a letter to school parents obtained by the outlet, Superintendent Rosetta Treece said that the ogling official was creeping outside of the school district borders – and that no students were involved. 

(David DeTurris. ‘Peeping Tom’ caught peering into young girl’s bedroom is athletic director for NJ school district: report. New York Post. August 17, 2026.)

今日の1語は、leerです。少し記事の引用が長くなってしまいましたが、"leer"とはみだらな関心を持って横目、または流し目で見る、という意味の動詞で、引用記事には過去に取り上げた同様の表現が随所に出て来ます。

"leer"の語源は頬（cheek）を意味する中英語ler、また古英語hleorという語にあるそうです。

流し目、横目で見る時に目線は頬の辺りを泳ぐ形になるからでしょうか。真っ直ぐ前を向いていれば自分の頬など目線に入らない訳で、"leer"とは目線が真っ直ぐではなく、斜めに向かっており、そこには邪な関心や意図があるということかと思います。