Peeter

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To gradually diminish and finally come to an end, as a supply or effort does ; a masculine given name, a variant spelling of Peter used in Estonian and Dutch
2. To fade slowly until nothing remains of something, like a flow or a project ; a male first name that is an alternative form of Peter in certain languages
3. Dwindling away little by little until nothing is left ; a personal name for men, a spelling variant of Peter found in some European countries

Etymology: The phrase "to peter out," meaning to dwindle gradually until nothing is left, is most often linked to American mining slang, where a vein of ore grew thinner and then disappeared. The name Peter in the phrase is not known to refer to any real person, and the exact source of the verb is uncertain. What sets it apart from similar verbs like "fade" or "fail" is the slow, uneven shrinking it describes. A project, a supply, or a conversation does not stop abruptly but tapers off in stages. Etymologists have not settled how the verb arose, so its precise origin remains partly open.