pari-, par-

(Greek: same, equal, equality, equal value)

peer (s) (noun), peers (pl)
1. A person of the same legal status; such as, a jury of one's peers.
2. Someone who is equal to another in abilities, qualifications, age, background, and social status.
3. Something of equal worth or quality.
4. A member of any of the five degrees of the nobility in Great Britain and Ireland (duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron).
5. Etymology: from Anglo-French peir, Old French per; from Latin par, "equal"; an equal in civil standing or rank.
peerage (s) (noun), peerages (pl)
1. Noblemen and noblewomen considered as a class or a group: All the aristocracy, or the peerages, of the city were invited to the celebration of the outstanding stars of the new movies of that yar.
2. The rank or title of a nobleman or noblewoman: The peerages in the important meeting included the dukes, the counts, and the baronets.
3. A book listing the members of the nobility: The peerage of the elite persons in the city gave information about their families.
peeress
1. A woman who is a peer.
2. The wife or widow of a peer.
peerless (adjective), more peerless, most peerless
1. Eminent beyond or above comparison: Professor Karl Monroe is a peerless anthropologist who is not only a professor at a university, but also, a scholar who travels to Africa very often to learn more about the cultures of the various native groups who live there.
2. So good as to have no equal: Monroe was a peerless athlete at his university which made it easy for him to become a professional football player.
3. Etymology: from Latin parare, "to make equal"; from par, "equal"
Matchless, superb, or unrivaled.
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peerlessly
A descriptive term for having no equals; matchless.
peerlessness
A situation whereby there is no peer or equal; being matchless; superlative.
Quam inique comparatum est! Hiqui minus habent ut semper aliquid addant divitioribus.
How unjust is fate! That they who have but little should be always adding to the abundance of the rich.
Testibus deponentibus in pari numero, dignioribus est credendum. (Latin proverb)
Translation: "Where the witnesses who testify are in equal number (on both sides), the more worthy are they to be believed."
umpire
1. An official who supervises a sport and enforces the rules of the game in such sports, as baseball, football, basketball, soccer, etc.
2. Someone who is appointed to settle a dispute that mediators have been unable to resolve; an arbitrator.
3. Etymology: from noumper, from Old French nonper, "odd number, not even,", in reference to a third person to arbitrate between two; from non, "not" + per, "equal,"; from Latin par.

The initial -n- was lost by about 1440 because of the faulty separation of a noumpere, heard as an oumpere.

Inter-related cross references, directly or indirectly, involving word units dealing with "equal, identical, same, similar": auto-; emul-; equ-, equi-; homeo-; homo-; iso-; peer; rhomb-; syn-; tauto-.