What does "lawyer" mean?

1. (legal professional) a person who is trained in law and gives advice to people about their legal rights and duties. 2. (to do legal work) to work as a lawyer or to use legal arguments to solve a problem. 3. (thorny plant) a name used in some places for plants with sharp, hooked thorns that catch on clothes.

lawyer

n. · v.

US //ˈɫɔɪɝ// UK //lˈɔɪɐ// lawyer

1 legal professional (n.)
A2 Elementary Law

a person who is trained in law and gives advice to people about their legal rights and duties.

a professional qualified to practice law, including providing legal advice and representing clients in civil or criminal proceedings.

Example

If you are buying a house, you should hire a lawyer to check the contract.

Example

The defendant consulted with his lawyer for several hours before deciding whether to testify in his own defence during the trial.
2 to do legal work (v.)
C1 Advanced Informal Law

to work as a lawyer or to use legal arguments to solve a problem.

to practice law or to apply legalistic reasoning to a situation, often used in an informal or slightly critical way.

Example

He tried to lawyer his way out of the parking ticket by finding a tiny mistake on the form.

Example

The executive attempted to lawyer the agreement until the original intent of the partnership was completely obscured by technical clauses.
- litigate
- advocate

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3 thorny plant (n.)
C2 Proficiency Dialect

a name used in some places for plants with sharp, hooked thorns that catch on clothes.

a regional or dialectal name for various climbing plants with hooked prickles, such as certain brambles.

Example

Be careful walking through those bushes; the lawyers will tear your trousers.

Example

The hikers struggled through a dense thicket of lawyers that snagged their gear and scratched their exposed skin.
- bramble
- briar

Origin

From Middle English lawiere, lawier, lawer, equivalent to law + -yer.