traitor

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.

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, [...]

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]:

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."

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:

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.

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

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

2019, Patricia Taxxon (lyrics and music), “Cold Water”, in Doraemon:

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

2021, Olivia Rodrigo, Dan Nigro (lyrics and music), “Traitor”, in Sour, performed by Olivia Rodrigo:

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

traitors (plural)
traitour (alternative)

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.


traitor

To act the traitor toward; to betray; to deceive.

en-verb

traitor (third-person singular simple present traitors, present participle traitoring, simple past and past participle traitored)

traitors (present singular third-person)
traitoring (participle present)
traitored (participle past)
traitored (past)
traitour (alternative)


traitor

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

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:

en-adj

traitor (comparative more traitor, superlative most traitor)

more traitor (comparative)
most traitor (superlative)
traitour (alternative)


traitor

Ne croire pas ce traïtor.

c. 1180, Chrétien de Troyes, Lancelot ou le Chevalier de la charrette:

fro-noun

traitor oblique singular, m (oblique plural traitors, nominative singular traitre, nominative plural traitor)

traitor oblique singular or (canonical masculine)
traitors (oblique plural)
traitre (nominative singular)
traitor (nominative plural)
traïtor (alternative)

French: traître

Norman: traître (Jersey)

Walloon: traite

desctree

→ Middle English: traytour, traitour, traitor
English: traitor
→ Middle Irish: trétúir
Irish: tréatúir

Adaptation of Latin trāditor, trāditorem.


traitor

head

traitor m (oblique plural traitors, nominative singular traitors, nominative plural traitor)

traitors (oblique plural)
traitors (nominative singular)
traitor (nominative plural)