Crier

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkɹaɪɚ/

Definitions

1. An individual who publicly announces information, often in a formal manner, or a person who expresses sorrow through crying
2. A person responsible for making official declarations in public spaces or one who demonstrates emotion by shedding tears
3. A person who loudly delivers public messages or proclamations ; an individual who often expresses emotions by shedding tears

Etymology: The "crier" in "town crier" has a surprisingly literal ancestry: it comes from Old French "crieor," the agent form of the verb "crier," meaning to cry out or proclaim. The word therefore names the person who does the crying, much as a "baker" bakes. English borrowed it in the Middle English period as "criour" and "cryour," and the spelling gradually settled into the modern form. The verb behind it goes back to Latin "quiritare," a term for the shrill outcry of a distressed person, later shortened in Vulgar Latin and reshaped as "critare" before reaching French. Medieval towns relied on such people to make public announcements of decrees, prices and market days before printed notices existed, so the job was literally a matter of shouting the news.

Synonyms: announcer, herald, town crier, proclaimer, messenger

Antonyms: listener, audience, spectator, observer, bystander