Forms: α. 3 treitre, 5 trai-, traytre. β. 3–4 traitur, traytur, 3–7 traytour, (4–6 -oure), 3–8 traitour, 4–5 -oure, -ur(e, treitour, tretour, 4–6 Sc. trature, tratour, 5 tretowre. γ. 4 Sc. tratore, 4–5 traytore, 4–8 traytor, 5– traitor. δ. 6 traiter, 6–7 trayter. [a. OF. nom. traitre (= Prov. traire, F. traître):—pop.L. trādī·tor for L. trā·ditor traitor, betrayer; also in acc. form OF. traitor, -ur (Roland, 11th c.), AF. -our (= It. traditore, Sp., Pg. traidor, Prov. traidor, Sard. traitore):—L. trāditō·rem, agent-n. f. trādĕre to deliver, hand over, f. trā- (= trans) + dare to give, put.]
1. One who betrays any person that trusts him, or any duty entrusted to him; a betrayer. In early use often, and still traditionally, applied to Judas Iscariot.
α. a. 1225. Ancr. R., 194. Heo biswikeð ou, & is ower treitre.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 9. Ha habbeð itricchet te as treitres.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., III. II. i. 231. To al crysten men thou hast ben traytre.
β, γ. a. 1300. Cursor M., 11530 (Cott.). He was traitur fals in fai.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, vii. (Jacobus Min.), 29. Þat wekit tratore Iudas. Ibid., xii. (Mathias), 242. Þo he wyste he suld be traytore.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIX. 435. Pieres þe plowman … trauailleth & tulyeth for a tretour also sore As for a trewe tydy man.
1382. Wyclif, Mark xiv. 44. The traitour hadde ȝouun to hem a tokene.
1548–9. (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Collect St. Matthias. In the place of the traytor Judas.
1657. Trapp, Comm. Ezra vii. 17. Said Christ, even to the very Traytour that did seek and suck his blood.
1867. M. Arnold, St. Brandan, iv. It is—Oh, where shall Brandan fly?—The traitor Judas, out of hell!
2. spec. One who is false to his allegiance to his sovereign or to the government of his country; one adjudged guilty of treason (including formerly petit treason) or of any crime so regarded. Also fig. or in extended sense.
Traitor’s Gate, the river gate of the Tower of London by which traitors, and state prisoners generally, were committed to the Tower. In quot. 1678 fig.
α. 1474. Caxton, Chesse, II. iv. (1883), 48. Slewe the traytre Goribalde. Ibid. (1481), Godeffroy, cxvii. 176. Yf ony were vntrew & suche a traytre that wold destroye his countrey.
β, γ. c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 38/146. ‘Ey, traytours,’ quath þe luþere Quen.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 10693. In gibet hii were an honge, as to more vilte,… & so hii miȝte lerni traitour to be.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 11889. Aha! traiturs … i sale Hing yow bot ye mak me hale.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 19. Maknab, a fals tratour.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 7899. But the triet men of Troy traitur hym cald.
1444. Rolls of Parlt., V. 111/2. He to be juged and demed as a Traitour, and suche execution to be don upon his body, as shuld be don uppon a Traitour atteint of hie Treson.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., IV. iv. 110. Vnlesse I proue false traitor to my selfe. Ibid. (1606), Tr. & Cr., V. vi. 5. Turne thy false face thou traytor.
1678. Yng. Man’s Call., 31. Man enters into the world at traitors gate; born in sin, and conceived in iniquity.
1713. Addison, Ct. Tariff, ¶ 23. He called [him] a lyar [and] a traytor.
a. 1771. Gray, Dante, 7. If the telling may Beget the Traitour’s Infamy.
1821. Byron, Mar. Fal., V. i. He is a traitor, and betray’d the state.
1881. Besant & Rice, Chapl. of Fleet, I. 49. [Did] we not hack the limbs of our traitors, and stick them upon Temple Bar?
Mod. A traitor in the camp; a traitor to the cause.
δ. 1583. Ld. Burleigh, Exec. for Treason (1675), 44. [They] ought to be adjudged Traiters.
1642. in Verney Mem. (1907), I. 242. Those thatt told you he was a trayter.
3. attrib. or as adj. That is a traitor, traitorous.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4397 (Cott.). Ne herd yee na wight how Yon traitur juu me wald sceind.
c. 1450. Lovelich, Grail, lii. 275. A tretour boteler That kyng Marahans sone poysoned.
c. 1470. Henryson, Mor. Fab., IV. ix. This wylie tratour tod On kneis fell.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., I. i. 102. False Mowbray … consequently like a Traitor Coward, Sluc’d out his innocent soule through streames of blood.
1700. Dryden, Pal. & Arc., II. 568. Th’ assassinating wife, the household fiend, And, far the blackest there, the traitor-friend.
1726. Pope, Odyss., XXII. 93. He drew his traitor-sword, And like a lion rushed against his lord.
1837. A. Tennent, Vis. Glencoe, 18. Some traitor spy, Meant to betray thee with a lie.
1887. J. M. Fuller in Dict. Chr. Biog., IV. 837/2. Judas the traitor-Apostle.
4. Comb., as traitor-led adj., -like adj. and adv., traitorwise adv.
1594. Warres Cyrus, 794. Or else Libanio … should die for his so traitorlike reuolt.
1598. in Archpriest Controv. (Camden), I. 210. Reputed by our Prince and countrye as trayterwise and disloyal.
1598. Rowlands, Betraying of Christ, etc., G ij b. Traitor-led troopes by night did apprehend him.
1721. Strype, Eccl. Mem., III. l. 389. Heavy tidings came … that the French had won Calais…: for, traitor-like, it was said to be sold and delivered unto them.
