α. 1700s– ameliorater (rare and nonstandard).
β. 1700s– ameliorator.
amelioratorn.
/əˈmiːlɪəreɪtə/, U.S. /əˈmiljəˌreɪdər/, /əˈmiliəˌreɪdər/ 1. A crop or (now usually) substance that improves the texture, drainage, or fertility of soil. Cf. ameliorant n., amendment n. 1c.
ΚΠ
1788 G. Washington Let. 13 Feb. in G. Washington Papers (1997) Confederation Ser. VI. 112 Potatoes and Carrots are amelioraters, not exhausters of the Soil.
1865 J. Buckman Sci. & Pract. in Farm Cultiv. xi. 74 The admixture of manures or ameliorators, such as guano.
1914 L. Barron Lawns ii. 14 Practically, barnyard manure is the best soil ameliorator.
2018 S. A. Balyuk et al. in R. Vargas et al. Handbk. Saline Soil Managem. iv. 47 If a soil has not undergone autumn tillage, then ameliorators can be applied to the soil just before or just after spring ploughing.
2. A person who or thing which improves or alleviates something. Cf. ameliorant n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > improvement > [noun] > that which improves
plough1526
improver1651
ameliorator1794
ameliorative1816
meliorant1920
upgrade1979
the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > improvement > [noun] > one who improves
mendera1382
raisera1400
betterer1600
improver1613
meliorator1782
ameliorator1930
1794 Lit. & Crit. Remarks 168 Adversity is an irksome, but excellent ameliorator of the mind.
1822 E. Nathan Langreath II. v. 150 Time, the common ameliorator of sorrow, refused to heal the wounds in my lacerated bosom.
1877 C. W. Thomson Voy. ‘Challenger’ I. ii. 121 Our beneficent ameliorator, the Gulf-stream.
1930 Musical Times 71 602/1 Especially in the case of so glaringly ineffective and unpractised an orchestrator as Brahms is the correcting hand of a conductor, to my mind, the most welcome of ameliorators.
2007 R. C. Tannehill Shape of Gospel viii. 166 In the more abstract language of narrative analysis..we may speak of his [sc. Jesus] basic role as that of ameliorator.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2020; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1788