Forms: 4–7 fautour(e, (6 fauctour), 5–6 fawter, -or, -our, 6–7 fauter, 4, 6– fautor. Also 6–7 erron. faulter, -or, -our. [ad. F. fauteur, ad. L. fautor, f. favēre to favour.] One who favours; a favourer.
1. An adherent, partisan, supporter, abettor.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 209. Him and his fautours he cursed euerilkon.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 443. But Symon and Iohn, with here fantoures, stopped þe wayes al aboute.
c. 1450. Life of St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 8356. With þair fautours all in fere.
1527. in Fiddes, Wolsey, II. (1726), 141. I shall … never more … hide, conceyl, or kepe close, any such heresies and dampnable opinions, nor their auctors or fawtors in tyme to come.
1559. Mirr. Mag., Worcester, xx.
| Of peoples grudge, and princes hate in feare, | |
| For princes faultes his faultors all men teare. |
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 693. This matter was with great heat debated … either part having great faultours.
1713. Derham, Phys. Theol., V. i. 312. Cartes … hath been thought by some to have been a Fautor of Atheism.
1786. H. Tooke, Purley (1798), I. 398. His lordship and his fautors will do well to contend stoutly and obstinately for their doctrine of language.
1832. Austin, Jurispr. (1879), I. vi. 289, note. If tyranny be synonymous with misrule, or if tyranny be specially synonymous with monarchical misrule, he [Hobbes] is not of the apologists and fautors of tyranny, but may rank with the ablest and most zealous of its foes.
1890. E. Johnson, Rise of Christendom, 472. M. de Montalembert, the great fautor and defender of the monks, who deprives Peter of the credit of the origination, and is disposed to assign the same to Urban II.
† 2. A protector, patron. Obs.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 304. The archbischop, in the castelle of Ledis, cursed him for contumacie, and grete fautoure of heretikes.
1548. W. Patten, Expedition Scot., Ded. in Arb., Garner, III. 52. His most benign fautor and patron.
1605. Camden, Rem. (1637), 346. Humphrey, Duke of Glocester, a noble fautor of good letters.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, I. 441.
| O thou that all things seest, | |
| Fautor of Chrysa. |
1686. J. Goad, Astro-meteorologica, II. xii. 321. He [a star] is the Fautor of Serenity.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., I. 24. He [Richard Kedermyster] was by the favour of his Patron and fautor of his Studies … made Scholar or Pastor.
