Compered

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have served as a host or presenter at an event, guiding the proceedings and engaging with the audience
2. To have introduced performers or speakers during a program, maintaining flow and entertainment value
3. To have exercised control over an occasion or performance, ensuring that all elements proceed smoothly and effectively

Etymology: "Compered" is the past form of "compere," a verb meaning to host or master-of-ceremonies a show or event. The verb grew from a noun that began as a term of close kinship. In Late Latin, "compater" meant "godfather," literally a "co-father": a man who stood with a child's real father at baptism and shared in that child's spiritual upbringing. Its roots are Latin "com-," meaning "with," and "pater," meaning "father." The relationship between the two men was close enough that the title spread into ordinary friendship. Old French turned the word into "comper," and then "compère," meaning a partner or accomplice. That sense of a companion who works alongside you survives in English's "compeer," a fellow or equal, and in the Spanish "compadre," a friend or crony. Over time, the partner who stood beside someone became the person who presides over a performance, keeping the show moving and linking one act to the next. "Compere" entered English as a borrowing from French, and the verb followed from the noun.