Etymology

From Old French trator (French: tratre), from Latin traditor.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA: /ˈtɹeɪtɚ/
• Audio (US) ^[?]
• Rhymes: -eɪtə(r)
• Homophones: trader (in accents with flapping)

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; a betrayer.

Verb

to 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

1. traitorous.

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