Peer

s. (pair, French.) 1. Equal; oné of the same rank (Davies). 2. One equal in excellence or endowments (Dryden). 3, Com-: panion; fellow (Ben Jonson). Pgers, in our common law, are those who are impannelled in an inquest upon any man, for the convicting or clearing him of any offence, for which he is called in question; and the reason is, because the course and custom of our nation is, to try every man in such a case by his equals, or peers.