traitor

Alternative forms

• traitour (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French traïtor (French: traître), from Latin traditor.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/
• (US) enPR: trā′tər, IPA^(key): /ˈtɹeɪtɚ/, [ˈtʰɹeɪɾɚ]
• Homophone: trader (in dialects with flapping)

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪtə(ɹ)

Noun

traitor (plural traitors)

1. Someone who violates his allegiance and betrays his/her country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers his country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to his defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished
   • 2017 October 8, John Oliver, “Confederacy”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 4, episode 26, HBO:

     Yes, that was Vice President Spiro Agnew commemorating the “loyalty” of literal traitors. But what can you really expect from a man whose name rearranged spells “grow a penis.”

2. Someone who takes arms and levies war against his country; or one who aids an enemy in conquering his country.
3. Hence, one who betrays any confidence or trust.

Verb

traitor (third-person singular simple present traitors, present participle traitoring, simple past and past participle traitored)

1. To act the traitor toward; to betray; to deceive.

Adjective

traitor (comparative more traitor, superlative most traitor)

1. traitorous

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Alexander Pope to this entry?)

Alternative forms

• traïtor

Etymology

From Latin trāditor.

Noun

traitor m (oblique plural traitors, nominative singular traitre, nominative plural traitor)

1. traitor
   • circa 1180, Chrétien de Troyes, Lancelot ou le Chevalier de la charrette:

     Ne croire pas ce traïtor.

     Do not believe this traitor.

Etymology

Latin traditor.

Noun

traitor m (oblique plural traitors, nominative singular traitors, nominative plural traitor)

1. traitor

References

• von Wartburg, Walther (1928-2002), “traditor”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 01, page 02