英和和英

語源

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

発音

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/
• (米国発音) enPR: trā′tər, IPA: /ˈtɹeɪtɚ/, [ˈtʰɹeɪɾɚ]
• Homophone: trader (in dialects with flapping)
• 韻: -eɪtə(ɹ)

名詞

traitor (plural traitors)

1. Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to their defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished.

   After World War I, the communists and Jews were accused to be traitors by the German right wing (the "stab-in-the-back myth"), ultimately culminating in their persecution and massacre.

   • 1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

     My Lord of Hereford here whom you call King, / Is a foule traitour to proud Herefords King, / And if you crowne him let me propheſie, / The bloud of Engliſh ſhall manure the ground, / And future ages groane for this foule act, [...]

   • 2017 October 8, “Confederacy” (14:45 from the start), in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver‎, season 4, episode 26, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:

     Yes, that was Vice President Spiro Agnew commemorating the "loyalty" of literal traitors. But what can you really expect from a man whose name rearranged spells "grow a penis."

2. Someone who takes arms and levies war against their country; or one who aids an enemy in conquering their country.

   Synonyms: turncoat, withersake; see also Thesaurus:defector

3. (by extension) One who betrays any confidence or trust.

   Synonyms: betrayer, fink, snake, snake in the grass; see also Thesaurus:betrayer

   • 2019, Patricia Taxxon, “Cold Water”, in Doraemon:

     It's second nature now to think myself a traitor
     To myself, to all I've ever burdened with my rotting visage
     I can't breathe, the weight of all I've disappointed crushes me
     If I were happy, it would feel as if I couldn't trust me

   • 2021, Olivia Rodrigo, Dan Nigro, “Traitor”, in Sour‎, performed by Olivia Rodrigo:

     It took you two weeks
     To go off and date her
     Guess you didn't cheat
     But you're still, you're still a traitor
     Yeah, you're still a traitor

同意語

• (all senses): Benedict Arnold (US), quisling, Judas

派生語

動詞

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.

形容詞

traitor (comparative more traitor, superlative most traitor)

1. Traitorous.
   • 1735, Alexander Pope, “The Second Satire of Dr. John Donne”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume II, London: […] J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC:

     to find a subject staid and wise
     Already half turn'd traitor by surprise