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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tratour, Traytour(e, n. Also: tratoure, -owr, -or(e, -ur(e, -er, trayto(w)re, -owyr, traythour, traitour(e, -or, -er, -ouor, traittour(e, treatour, trahitour. [ME and e.m.E. treitre (a1225), traytour (c1290), traitour (1297), traitur (Cursor M.), tretour (Piers Plowman), traiter (1583), OF (nom.) traitre, (acc.) traitor, L. trāditor.] A traitor, specif. a. A person who betrays a trust or a person who trusts him, a betrayer; a person who breaks his faith; also, more generally, a person whom one cannot trust, an untrustworthy person. b. A person who betrays his allegiance to his sovereign or country, one guilty of the crime of treason (Treso(u)n(e n. 2). c. transf. Applied to a non-material thing, something that deceives one.a., b. 1375 Barb. iv 19.
Worthy Crystoll off Seytoun … betresyt was Throw a discipill off Judas Maknab, a fals tratour a1400 Leg. S. vii 29.
That wekit tratore Judas ?1438 Alex. i 355.
Gif I … left ȝow heir in fell fechting, I war mair tratour than Judas c1450-2 Howlat 814 (A).
Thow [sc. the raven] ischit out of Noyes ark & to the erd wan, Taryit as a tratour, and brocht na tythingis 1460 Hay Alex. 250.
Trature a1500 Henr. Fab. 2883.
The mous on hir can cry: Tratour to God, and manesworne vnto me 1490 Irland Mir. III 113/18.
That sene thai war tratouris to God and falsly had brokin thar faith [etc.] c1515 Asl. MS I 208/22.
That he [sc. Edward II] rewlit him … Sir Hew Spensar the fader and … his sone quhilkis ware baith fals tratouris as has bene mony ma of that nacioun 1500 Acta Conc. II 441.
Accompanyt with Schir Jhone Musgrave, Thomas Bachane, and utheris Inglissmen and tratouris c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 73.
Thow crop and rute of tratouris tressonable, The fathir and moder of morthour and mischeif a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 282.
Wallace gart cry ane counsale … And callit Corspatrik tratour 1515–16 Reg. Privy S. I 413/1.
The saidis theves, revaris, rebellis and tratouris … and utheris trespassouris 1528 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. viii 181.
Tratowris 1533 Boece 230b.
Thai war all condampnit and harlit as tratouris to the emprioure 1549 Compl. 115/28.
Traturs c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 336.
He tuke the town with tresoun lyke ane tratour 1559 Cal. Sc. P. I 229.
Yit if I should flatter your grace [sc. Elizabeth] I wer no frend but a deceavabill trater 1563 Crim. Trials I i 434.
That scho shall not marie ane cheif tratour nor vther brokkin man 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 75.
Lord Gordoun was put to the knowlege of ane assyis, and … declarit tratour a1578 Pitsc. I 53/5.
Common tratouris to the croun a1578 Pitsc. I 100/10.
The Earle of Crafurd … delattit trator for his rebellioun 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. (STS) 84/6.
Thir Caluinian ministers, qua … vas maist traturuse tratures aganis thair soueran a1605 Montg. Sonn. lxx 7.
Fals tratur, Turk, betrayer vnder trust 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 377.
That he was the first nobleman that ever wes proclaimed a rebell, or challenged a tratour for debt(b) a1400 Leg. S. xii 242.
Traytore a1400 Leg. S. xxi 619.
Traytoure c1400 Troy-bk. ii 802 (C).
Wnder Anthenoris ledyng And Eneas that was hys fere: Quhilkes publickis traytoures were Of thare lond c1420 Wynt. ii 1141 (C).
Al tha traythouris [R. cuchowris] for to ta, And but mercy thaim pyne and sla c1420 Wynt. vi 213.
Traytowris c1420 Wynt. vi 252.
Traytowre c1420 Wynt. vi 836.
Traytowyrs c1430 Murray Early B. Organ. I 330.
Fra the pece of the fayr cryit thar sal na man be takyn na attachyt wythin that ilke fayr, … bot gif he war the kyngis traytour, or gif he war suilke a mysdoar that gyrth of haly kyrk aw nocht to sauffe hym 1456 Hay I 23/35.
In the tyme of pape Innocent, a fals traytour callit Peris Leon callit him self pape 1456 Hay I 108/6.
Thare is mony ane that will nocht graunt that the emperoure is lord of all the warld, for the traytouris untreuthfull sais that the grete Cane is lord of all the warld 1456 Hay II 30/20.
A traytour that betraisis his … eldest sone 1490 Irland Mir. III 72/23.
Gif thou be a prince thi traytouris and rebellouris thou will sla a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 403.
My linage and forebearis war ay lele, It cumis of kynde to thé to be a traytoure 1519 Edinb. B. Rec. I 191.
Diuers traytouris and vntrew liegis, and als vtheris vnfaithfull folkis of vtheris realmes(c) c1515 Asl. MS I 267/3.
The king of Yngland was chasit fra Sterling to Dunbar and thair that traitour gat away in a bait 1528 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. viii 180.
Traitouris 1559 Knox VI 86.
Denunced ennemies and traiters to this common-wealht a1578 Pitsc. I 149/14.
Traittour 1581 Crim. Trials I ii 96.
Traittoure 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 68/2.
Traitoure 1638 Adamson Muses Thr. I 33.
Traitor 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas i 414.
Traitouoris(d) 1528 Lynd. Dreme 218.
Treatour(e) 1596 Dalr. II 402/29.
Thir trasonable trahitourisc. 1490 Irland Mir. III 48/26.
Thus the synnar vsand this sacrament deliueris him of the syn and castis it fra him as a werray traytour that has falslie desauit him

d. attrib. That acts to betray or deceive or causes betrayal. 1456 Hay II 31/20.
A fule lorde that left his faire wyf in keping till a ȝong traytour knycht a1500 Henr. Fab. 1045.
This tratour tod, this tirrant, and this tyke, The fattest off this flock he fellit hais ?a1500 Dewoit Exerc. 183.
How this fals tratour iuge Pilot hes gevin fals sentence c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 83.
Thy frawart phisnomy Dois manifest thy malice to all men; Fy, tratour theif; fy, glengoir loun 1533 Boece 79b.
Crying deliuer out the tratoure king to be pynit with tormentis 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 92.
O traytour deith, quhom none may contramand 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2586 (Ch.).
Common trator theifis, Quha to leill laborers daylie dois mischeifis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2626.
The greit mischeif be wemen done to men, The tratour displesour and dispyte [etc.] 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv Pref. 53.
Judas Iscariot, … Betrayed his Maister lyk a traytour tod