Fleer first appeared in English as a verb (fleryen in Middle English) meaning "to laugh, grin, or grimace in a coarse manner." The verb is of Scandinavian origin and is akin to the Norwegian flire, meaning "to giggle." The noun fleer first and most famously appeared in William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, in which the evil Iago invites Othello to observe the signs of his wife's unfaithfulness in the visage of her supposed lover, Cassio: "And mark the fleers, the gibes, and notable scorns / That dwell in every region of his face…."
Fleer's plant - a long, brick building along the railroad tracks near North 10th Street in Olney - stood just blocks from my parents' rowhouse. Frank Fitzpatrick, Philly.com, 25 June 2017
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English fleryen, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian flire to giggle