Barrator

//ˈbæɹətɚ// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    One who is guilty of barratry, vexing others with frequent and often groundless lawsuits; a brangler and pettifogger.

    "But by Hawk. P. C. bk. 1, c. 21, if such suits are merely groundless, and brought only with a design to oppress the defendants, such a man may as properly be called a barrator as if he had stirred up others to bring them."

  2. 2
    someone guilty of barratry wordnet
  3. 3
    One who abuses their office by dealing fraudulently.; One who buys or sells political or ecclesiastic offices. obsolete
  4. 4
    One who abuses their office by dealing fraudulently.; A judge who accepts bribes.
  5. 5
    One who abuses their office by dealing fraudulently.; A ship's master who commits gross fraud or barratry.
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  1. 6
    A quarrelsome person, one who fights, a bully. archaic

    "I care not though men call me impudent, / Smooth-tongu'd, audacious, petulant, abhominable, / Forger of vvords and lie, contentious Barretour, / Old, vvinding, bragging, teſty, crafty fox."

Synonyms

All synonyms
barraterbarrater

Example

More examples

"But by Hawk. P. C. bk. 1, c. 21, if such suits are merely groundless, and brought only with a design to oppress the defendants, such a man may as properly be called a barrator as if he had stirred up others to bring them."

Etymology

From Middle English baratour, from Old French barateor (“deceiver”), from Old French barater, bareter (“to deceive, cheat, barter”). Compare barter (intransitive verb).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.