English

Alternative forms

• traitour (obsolete)

Noun

traitor ‎(plural traitors)

1. One who violates his allegiance and betrays his/her country; one guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers his country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place intrusted to his defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished; also, one who takes arms and levies war against his country; or one who aids an enemy in conquering his country.
2. Hence, one who betrays any confidence or trust.

Synonyms

• (one who betrays a confidence or trust): betrayer, fink

Translations

See also

• Benedict Arnold
• Quisling
• Judas

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.

Translations

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?)

Translations

Old French

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.

Related terms

• traïson

Descendants

• English : traitor
• French: traître

Old Provençal

Etymology

Latin traditor.

Noun

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

1. traitor

References

• (fr)(de) traditor in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (Walther von Wartburg, 2002)