Meanings
Boer1
plural Boers
- historicalA Dutch colonist in South Africa during the colonial era, especially a farmer.
- A militant in the Boer War.
The British soldiers captured a Boer after the battle.
- derogatoryoffensiveAn Afrikaner, especially a farmer.
‘I won't say good day to a fucking boer!’ he exploded, swinging round viciously to escape into the angry light outside.
1979, André Brink, A Dry White Season, Vintage, published 1998, page 931 more example
At least one of the scenes on the screen appeared to be the rallying cry of “Kill the Boer,” which U.S. officials and Afrikaner activists have cited as evidence that white South Africans are being persecuted. Boer means farmer in Dutch and Afrikaans.
2025 May 21, Erica L. Green, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, “Trump Lectures South African President in Televised Oval Office Confrontation”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
Boer2
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna white native of Cape Province who is a descendant of Dutch settlers and who speaks Afrikaans
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Boer · noun
- AfrikaansBoer“Boer”
- EnglishBoer
From Afrikaans Boer (“Boer”), from boer (“farmer”). Doublet of bauer, boor, and bower.
More words from Afrikaans
Full word history & related roots →Boer · proper noun
- DutchBoer
- EnglishBoer
From Dutch Boer, from boer (“farmer”).
More words from Dutch
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans Boer
- BoerSouth African of Dutch descent
Catalan bòer
- bòerSouth African of Dutch descent
Chinese Mandarin 布爾人 /布尔人
- 布爾人 /布尔人 (Bùěrrén)South African of Dutch descent
Czech Búr
- BúrSouth African of Dutch descent
Dutch Boer, Boer
- BoerSouth African of Dutch descent
- Boersurname
Finnish buuri
- buuriSouth African of Dutch descent
French Boer
- BoerSouth African of Dutch descent
German Bure, Burin
- BureSouth African of Dutch descent
- BurinSouth African of Dutch descent
Hungarian búr
- búrSouth African of Dutch descent
Irish Bórach
- BórachSouth African of Dutch descent
Italian boero
- boeroSouth African of Dutch descent
Māori Poa
- PoaSouth African of Dutch descent
Norwegian Bokmål boer
- boerSouth African of Dutch descent
Polish Bur
- BurSouth African of Dutch descent
Portuguese bóer, bôer
- bóerSouth African of Dutch descent
- bôerSouth African of Dutch descent
Russian бур
- бур (bur)South African of Dutch descent
Spanish bóer
- bóerSouth African of Dutch descent
Swahili Kaburu
- KaburuSouth African of Dutch descent
Turkish Boer
- BoerSouth African of Dutch descent
Ukrainian бур
- бур (bur)South African of Dutch descent
Yiddish בור
- בור (bur)South African of Dutch descent
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with Boer
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
Boer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Boer
“Boer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Boer. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Boer,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Boer.
Source: Boer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.