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Added 9 October 2026

traitor

/ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/ noun

In Latin: prōditor, prōditrīx, trāditor Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about traitor at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Someone who betrays his country by committing treason.
A person who says one thing and does another.

Origin

From Middle English traitor, traitour, traytour, from Old French traïtor (French traître), from Latin trāditor. Displaced native Middle English swike from Old English swica (“traitor”), and Middle English proditour and traditour borrowed directly from Latin. The general Old English word denoting "traitor" was lǣwa or lǣwend. Doublet of traditor and treason.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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