traitor

traitor
\ \ [13] Traitor and tradition [14] come from the same ultimate source: Latin trādere. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix trāns- ‘across’ and daregive’ (source of English data, date, etc). It originally meant ‘hand over, deliver’, and it is this sense that (via the derivative trāditiō) has given English tradition – etymologically something ‘handed over’ to succeeding generations. But it was also used metaphorically for ‘betray’, and this meaning has passed through into English in betray, traitor, and treason.
\ \ Cf.BETRAY, TRADITION, TRAITOR, TREASON

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • trăitor — TRĂITÓR, ÓARE, trăitori, oare, adj. (Rar) 1. Care trăieşte, care este în viaţă, care există; viu, vieţuitor. 2. Care îşi duce viaţa, care locuieşte undeva. [pr.: tră i ] – Trăi + suf. tor. Trimis de RACAI, 07.12.2003. Sursa: DEX 98  TRĂITÓR adj …   Dicționar Român

  • Traitor — Trai tor, n. [OE. traitour, OF. tra[ i]tor, tra[ i]teur, F. tre[^i]tre, L. traditor, fr. tradere, traditum, to deliver, to give up or surrender treacherously, to betray; trans across, over + dare to give. See {Date} time, and cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Traitor — Trai tor, v. t. To act the traitor toward; to betray; to deceive. [Obs.] But time, it traitors me. Lithgow. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • traitor — (n.) c.1200, from O.Fr. traitor (11c.), from L. traditorem (nom. traditor) betrayer, lit. one who delivers, from stem of tradere deliver, surrender (see TRADITION (Cf. tradition)). Originally usually with a suggestion of Judas Iscariot …   Etymology dictionary

  • traitor — [trāt′ər] n. [ME traitour < OFr traitor < L traditor, one who betrays < traditus, pp. of tradere, to hand over, betray: see TREASON] a person who betrays his or her country, cause, friends, etc.; one guilty of treason or treachery …   English World dictionary

  • Traitor — Trai tor, a. Traitorous. [R.] Spenser. Pope. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • traitor — index conspirer, insurgent, malcontent Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • traitor — [n] person who is disloyal apostate, backslider*, back stabber*, Benedict Arnold*, betrayer, conspirator, deceiver, defector, deserter, double crosser*, fink*, hypocrite, impostor, informer, intriguer, Judas*, miscreant, quisling, rebel, renegade …   New thesaurus

  • traitor — ► NOUN ▪ a person who betrays their country, a cause, etc. DERIVATIVES traitorous adjective. ORIGIN Old French traitour, from Latin tradere hand over …   English terms dictionary

  • Traitor — Filmdaten Deutscher Titel Traitor Produktionsland USA …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • traitor — n. 1) a traitor to (a traitor to one s country) 2) (misc.) to turn traitor * * * [ treɪtə] (misc.) to turn traitor a traitor to (a traitor to one s country) …   Combinatory dictionary

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