rhetor

English

Etymology

From Middle English rethor, from Old French retor and Latin rhētor, rētor, rēthor (“teacher of rhetoric, rhetorician”), from Ancient Greek ῥήτωρ (rhḗtōr).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹiːtə(ɹ)/

Noun

rhetor (plural rhetors)

1. (archaic) A rhetorician.
   • early 16th c., William Dunbar, Remonstrance to the King:

     Schir, ye have mony servitouris, / And officiaris of dyvers curis, / Kirkmen, courtmen, and craftismen fyne, / Doctouris in jure and medicyne, / Divinouris, rethoris, and philosophouris, / Astrologis, artistis, and oratouris, / Men of armes and vailyeand knychtis, / And mony uther gudlie wichtis, / Musicianis, menstralis, and mirrie singaris, / Chevalouris, cawandaris, and flingaris, / Cunyouris, carvouris, and carpentaris, / Beildaris of barkis and ballingaris, / Masounis lyand upon the land, / And schipwrichtis hewand upone the strand, / Glasing wrichtis, goldsmythis, and lapidaris, / Pryntouris, payntouris, and potingaris, / And all of thair craft cunning, / And all at anis lawboring, / Quhilk pleisand ar and honorable, / And to your hienes profitable, / And richt convenient for to be, / With your hie regale majestie, / Deservand of your grace most ding, / Bayth thank, rewarde, and cherissing.

   • 1643, Henry Hammond, Christ and Barabbas (a sermon)

     Your hearing , which is mostly the fairest part of you , what is it but as of a rhetor at a desk , to commend or dislike , the same which you have as well for the stage as the pulpit , a plaudit or an hiss

References

“rhetor”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Rother, rethor, rother

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ῥήτωρ (rhḗtōr).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈreː.tor/, [ˈreːt̪ɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈre.tor/, [ˈrɛːt̪or]

Noun

rhētor m (genitive rhētoris); third declension

1. teacher of rhetoric.
2. (derogatory) orator, rhetorician.

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	rhētor	rhētorēs
Genitive	rhētoris	rhētorum
Dative	rhētorī	rhētoribus
Accusative	rhētorem	rhētorēs
Ablative	rhētore	rhētoribus
Vocative	rhētor	rhētorēs

Related terms

• rhētorica
• rhētoricē
• rhētoricor
• rhētoricus
• rhētorissō

Descendants

• → English: rhetor
• → French: rhéteur
• Italian: retore
• Sicilian: rituri
• → Spanish: rétor

References

• “rhetor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “rhetor”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• rhetor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • a teacher of rhetoric: rhetor, dicendi magister
    
  • fine, rhetorical phrases: flosculi, rhetorum pompa
    
• Professor Kidd, et al. Collins Gem Latin Dictionary. HarperCollins Publishers (Glasgow: 2004). →ISBN. page 306.