adoptern.
/əˈdɒptə/, U.S. /əˈdɑptər/ 1.
a. A person who adopts another, esp. a child.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > taking > taking possession > [noun] > adopting as one's own > one who
adopter1572
society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > kinsman or relation > [noun] > adopted person > one who adopts
adopter1572
adoptor1611
adoptant1632
1572 J. Higgins Huloets Dict. (rev. ed.) Adopter, that makes the adoption, Adoptator.
1611 J. Speed Hist. Great Brit. vi. xviii. 220/1 Antoninus..did not onely equall his Adopter and Predecessours, in wisdome and other princely qualities.
1680 R. Baxter Def. Nonconformists Plea for Peace xvi. 27 It is not the Parents Christianity or Faith that they require, nor the Grandfathers, nor any Pro-parents, or Adopters or Proprietors.
a1732 T. Boston Illustr. Doctr. Christian Relig. (1773) II. 242 And the magistrate adjudged him to be the adopter's son.
1741 C. Middleton Hist. Life Cicero (1742) II. vi. 13 The Adopter was not full twenty years old, when he adopted a Senator, who was old enough to be his father.
1833 Penny Cycl. I. 129/1 It was also ordained that the adopter should in all cases be at least eighteen years older than the person he adopted.
1870 Athenæum 6 Aug. 174 The..speculative father of six children, who sought charitable adopters for his offspring.
1921 Times 21 May 7/1 Marriage between the adopter and the adopted child should be prohibited so long as the tie of adoption subsists.
1954 Househ. Guide & Almanac (News of World) 169/1 No child is recognised in law as having been adopted unless an adoption order has been made by the court on the application of the intending adopters.
1999 Daily Tel. 9 Dec. 5/4 Ministers are preparing to make payments to couples who adopt children in an attempt to..encourage poorer parents to come forward as adopters.
b. A person who acquires an animal, esp. a stray or rescued one, and gives it a permanent home. Also: a person who sponsors an animal in a zoo, animal sanctuary, etc.Also with modifying word indicating the type of animal adopted.
ΚΠ
1918 F. Tilden Khaki iv. 34 ‘I'm so lonesome, I've got a mind to adopt that cat. Here, kitty, kitty!’ A restraining arm seized the prospective cat-adopter.
1920 Life 16 Dec. 1162/2 He started a campaign for adopters of dogs in the Toledo newspapers.
1939 Manch. Guardian 9 Oct. 2/7 The cost of adoption..does not, of course, entitle the adopter to take the animal away from the zoo.
1989 in M. W. Fox New Animal Doctor's Answer Bk. vi. 158 I encounter a great deal of resistance from potential dog and cat adopters concerning the agreement to spay or neuter.
2001 German Shepherds Mag. 3 118/3 If the potential adopter is going to keep the dog outside 24 hours a day..we will not adopt to them.
2. A person who takes up an opinion, plan, theory, etc., previously held or made by another. Later also more generally: a person (organization, etc.) who chooses to take something for his or her use or practice.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > relationship > imitation > [noun] > following in a course of conduct > one who
followerOE
adopter1681
the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > [noun] > taking into use > one who
embracer1567
adoptor1611
adopter1873
1681 J. Bairdy Balm from Gilead 184 Your simple hearing them, and not shaking off their Ministry, doth natively render you adopters of their sin.
1746 N. Tindal Contin. Rapin's Hist. Eng. XXVI. xxvii. ii. 40 It is not worth controverting, whether he was the Author or the Adopter of schemes for the service of Government.
1787 Gentleman's Mag. Mar. 201/2 Both the maker and adopter of it [sc. a blunder] are scarcely to be supposed deficient in learning.
1816 W. Scott Antiquary III. vi. 139 The rash adopters of the more obvious etymological derivations.
1873 M. Arnold Lit. & Dogma vii. 211 A practical rule which, if adopted, would have the force of an intuition for its adopter also.
1928 N. Thomas & E. W. Dickes tr. K. F. Nowak Versailles iv. 48 It had just that ethical flavour which he was looking for, but had not been able to find for himself, being always a mediocre, infertile creator, but a prompt adopter.
1952 Accounting Rev. 27 (front matter) A complete Solutions Manual offering answers to all questions and problems in the book is available to adopters of the text.
1994 Appl. Linguistics 15 314 Potential adopters view the innovation as sufficiently divergent but not too divergent from current practices.
3. Chemistry. A tube for connecting two pieces of apparatus; esp. one connecting the retort and receiver in apparatus for distillation. Cf. adapter n. 1a. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > chemistry > equipment or apparatus > [noun] > distillation apparatus
bodya1400
descensoryc1405
circulatory1559
receiver1576
bolt-glass1594
adopter1741
Woulfe's apparatus1800
alcogene1828
fractionating column1908
1741 P. Shaw tr. H. Boerhaave New Method Chem. (ed. 2) II. 318 Apply an adopter [L. segmentum cylindricum] to the mouth of the long-neck, luting it on carefully, with a mixture of clay and lime.
1822 T. Webster Imison's Elem. Sci. & Art (new ed.) II. 10 Conical tubes that fit into another, for lengthening the necks of retorts..are called adopters.
1839 A. Ure Dict. Arts 10 The adopter tube is then unluted, and is slid into its junction pipe.
1909 Mining Japan (Bureau Mines, Japan) iii. 240 Each ten pots discharge distilled sulphur into one condensing adopter of 4 feet dia. and 14.6 feet long.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
<
n.1572