Adoptor

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who legally takes another's child into their family and raises them as their own
2. Someone who chooses to accept or embrace a new practice, policy, or innovation
3. An individual who formally selects a product or idea for personal use or support

Etymology: "Adoptor" is simply "adopt" with the agent suffix "-or" added, so it names the one who performs the act of adopting. The suffix comes from Latin "-or," which turned verbs into nouns for doers, as in "actor" or "editor." The verb "adopt" itself traces back through Latin "adoptare," meaning to choose or take in addition, built from "ad-" (to) and "optare" (to choose). The spelling "adoptor" is a less common variant of "adopter," which is the form most dictionaries list first. Both forms describe the same person, the one who takes another's child into their family and raises them as their own. The "-or" ending is the older and more Latinate pattern, while "-er" became the dominant English agent ending.

Synonyms: adopter, acceptor