Incorrector

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person or thing that makes something wrong or inaccurate, rather than fixing or improving it
2. Someone or something that introduces errors into a text, measurement, or account instead of setting it right
3. An agent that causes faults or inaccuracies in what it touches, the opposite of a corrector

Etymology: Latin "corrigere" meant "to make straight, set right," from "com-" (together) and "regere" (to guide or rule). Its agent noun, "corrector," passed into English for one who sets things right, most familiar today from the proofreader's trade. Something very like the Latin "incorrectus" ("not corrected, not set right") gave English "incorrect." "Incorrector" is a rare formation: a negating prefix, "in-," attached to "corrector." Its sense would be one who makes things wrong or fails to set them right. It is seldom used and does not appear in everyday English, so it is best understood as a word built from parts rather than one that has been worn smooth by long use. Its meaning follows directly from its parts.