traitor
pronunciation
How to pronounce traitor in British English:
UK [ˈtreɪtə(r)]
How to pronounce traitor in American English:
US [ˈtreɪtər]
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- Noun:
- someone who betrays his country by committing treason
- a person who says one thing and does another
Word Origin
- 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 dare ‘give’ (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.=> betray, tradition, traitor, treason
- traitor (n.)
- c. 1200, "one who betrays a trust or duty," from Old French traitor, traitre "traitor, villain, deceiver" (11c., Modern French traître), from Latin traditor "betrayer," literally "one who delivers," agent noun from stem of tradere "deliver, surrender" (see tradition). Originally usually with a suggestion of Judas Iscariot; especially of one false to his allegiance to a sovereign, government, or cause from late 15c.
Example
- 1. He has been branded a traitor by his former comrades .
- 2. One man 's judicious independent is another 's unreliable traitor .
- 3. So , is holden an olympic talent or traitor ?
- 4. A woman then blurted out , " zhang qifa is a traitor ! "
- 5. Nobody wants to be accused of being a race traitor .