author

Noun · Verb
US/ˈɔθɚ/2 syllables

Open English WordNet

Noun (2)authors

  1. writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)Synonyms: writerType of communicatorKinds poet, dramatist, novelist, lyricist, journalist, gagster, contributor, tragedian, Gothic romancer, folk writer +25 moreExamples Rousseau, Voltaire, Melville, James, Kipling, Thoreau, Borges, Aragon, Munro, Huxley +310 more
  2. someone who originates or causes or initiates something“he was the generator of several complaints”Synonyms: generatorsourceType of maker, shaperKinds coiner

Verb (1)authors

  1. be the author of“She authored this play”More general write, composeMore specific ghost, co-author
Word of the day · Sep 28About this word
onerousadjective

What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz

Advertisement

Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Au′thor (a̤′thẽr), noun

Origin: OE. authour, autour, OF. autor, F. auteur, fr. L. auctor, sometimes, but erroneously, written autor or author, fr. augere to increase, to produce. See Auction, noun

1. The beginner, former, or first mover of anything; hence, the efficient cause of a thing; a creator; an originator.

Eternal King; thee, Author of all being.— John Milton

2. One who composes or writes a book; a composer, as distinguished from an editor, translator, or compiler.

The chief glory of every people arises from its authors.— Dr. Samuel Johnson

3. The editor of a periodical. obsolete

4. An informant. archaic Geoffrey Chaucer


Au′thor (a̤′thẽr), transitive verb

1. To occasion; to originate. obsolete

Such an overthrow... I have authored.— George Chapman

2. To tell; to say; to declare. obsolete

More of him I dare not author.— Philip Massinger

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

Advertisement