Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Author
Au′thor
(a̤′thẽr)
, Noun.
[OE. ]
authour
, autour
, OF. autor
, F. auteur
, fr. L. auctor
, sometimes, but erroneously, written autor
or author
, fr. augere
to increase, to produce. See Auction
, Noun.
1.
The beginner, former, or first mover of anything; hence, the efficient cause of a thing; a creator; an originator.
Eternal King; thee,
Author
of all being. Milton.
2.
One who composes or writes a book; a composer, as distinguished from an editor, translator, or compiler.
The chief glory of every people arises from its
authors
. Johnson.
3.
The editor of a periodical.
[Obs.]
4.
An informant.
[Archaic]
Chaucer.
Au′thor
(a̤′thẽr)
, Verb.
T.
1.
To occasion; to originate.
[Obs.]
Such an overthrow . . . I have
authored
. Chapman.
2.
To tell; to say; to declare.
[Obs.]
More of him I dare not
author
. Massinger.
Webster 1828 Edition
Author
AU'THOR
,Noun.
1.
One who produces, creates, or brings into being; as, God is the author of the Universe.2.
The beginner, former, or first mover of any thing; hence, the efficient cause of a thing. It is appropriately applied to one who composes or writes a book, or original work, and in a more general sense, to one whose occupation is to compose and write books; opposed to compiler or translator.AU'THOR
,Verb.
T.
Definition 2024
author
author
English
Alternative forms
Noun
author (plural authors)
- The originator or creator of a work, especially of a literary composition.
- The copyright of any original writing belongs initially and properly to its author.
- John Milton (1608-1674)
- Eternal King; thee, Author of all being.
- 1661, John Fell, The Life of the most learned, reverend and pious Dr. H. Hammond
- During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant […]
- Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
- The chief glory of every people arises from its authors.
- (the author) I, me. used in academic articles as first-person pronoun.
- Someone who writes books for a living.
- The works of an author or authors.
- Have you read any Corinthian authors?
- 1661, John Fell, The Life of the most learned, reverend and pious Dr. H. Hammond
- During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant […]
Synonyms
- (creator of a work): bookwright, creator, artist, subcreator, fabulator, writer
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
originator or creator of a work
|
|
writer — see writer
Verb
author (third-person singular simple present authors, present participle authoring, simple past and past participle authored)
Translations
to create a work as its author
Derived terms
Statistics
Most common English words before 1923: simply · terrible · Tom · #858: author · authority · pleasant · forget
Latin
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈau̯.tʰor/, [ˈau̯.tʰɔr]
Noun
author m (genitive authōris); third declension
- Alternative form of auctor
Inflection
Third declension.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | author | authōrēs |
| genitive | authōris | authōrum |
| dative | authōrī | authōribus |
| accusative | authōrem | authōrēs |
| ablative | authōre | authōribus |
| vocative | author | authōrēs |
References
- author in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- Félix Gaffiot (1934), “author”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.