Adresser

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who speaks to an audience or a recipient in a formal manner
2. An individual who conveys a message or communication to someone else, often in writing or speech
3. Someone who directs remarks or speeches toward a specific group or individual

Etymology: Before it meant speaking to someone, the root of this word meant making something straight. It descends from Old French "adrecier," "to set straight or direct," which came from a Vulgar Latin verb "addirectiare," built from the Latin prefix "ad-" ("toward") and "directus," the past participle of "dirigere," "to guide in a straight line." The Latin verb is itself built from "dis-" and "regere," "to lead or rule," so the same root that gives "regent" and "rule" sits underneath it. English borrowed the verb "address" from Old French in the Middle Ages, and its sense of aiming words at a listener developed from the older idea of directing something toward a target. The agent ending "-er" was then added to name the person doing the directing. "Adresser" is a French-style spelling of the same word; standard English uses "addresser."

Synonyms: speaker, communicator

Antonyms: listener