procurer
(prəʊˈkjʊərə(r))
Forms: α. 4–7 procurour, 5–7 -or, (4 Sc. -ur, 5 -oure, 6 Sc. prokerrour). β. 5– procurer.
[ME. and AF. procuˈrour, = OF. procurëur, -eeur (13th c. in Hatz.-Darm., mod.F. procureur):—L. prōcūrātōr-em procurator1. In later ME. ˈprocurour; in 15th and 16th c. changed to proˈcurer, esp. in senses arising from or naturally associated with the vb. procure: see -er1.]
I. † 1. = procurator1, in various uses. a. Rom. Hist. An imperial procurator. b. A steward, a manager. c. An attorney; an advocate, a defender. d. A deputy, commissioner, representative.
| a. α 1470–85 Malory Arthur v. i. 160 The Emperour Lucyus whiche was called at that tyme Dictatour or procurour of the publyke wele of Rome. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 412 b/1 Accusyng hym that he had synned wyth the doughter of the procurour. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. iii. 187 Ffel in this field Quintine Bassian legat, Hircie the Emperouris Prokerrour in Britannie [etc.]. |
| b. α c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xvi. (Magdalena) 157 He mad hyr his familiare, & procurur in-to þe way he wald hyr hafe. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 100 Make him thy procurour and receyvour of thy money. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. iii. ii. 171 It were a grete oultrage that the procuroure sholde be ageynst the mayster. |
| c. α 1390 Gower Conf. II. 224 Thei make here prive procurours, To telle hou [etc.]. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 109 The Emperour suld be procuroure to defend haly kirk. 1598 Dallington Meth. Trav. F iv, Two other Lawyers, the one an Aduocate, the other a Procuror. |
| β a 1658 Cleveland Rustic Rampant Wks. (1687) 413 The Places and Houses of Advocates, and Procurers. |
| d. α a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) I iij, He wente to the colledge, where as al the procurours and ambassadours of all prouinces were. |
| β 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 32 He by his procurers sheweth causes why he coulde not come. Ibid. 425 The Emperour, and kyng Ferdinando,..appointed their procurers with large and ample commission, whiche should treate and followe the cause, in their names, at Rome. |
† e. = F.
procureur or its equivalents in cognate langs.: see
procureur.
procurer fiscal = F.
procureur fiscal:
cf. procurator-fiscal.
Obs.| α 1575 Gascoigne Pr. Pleas. Kenilw. (1821) 74, I haue beene by the Procuror generall, twise seuerally summoned to appeare before the great Gods in their Councel chamber. 1647–8 Sir C. Cotterell Davila's Hist. Fr. (1678) 37 Procuror Fiscal to the King. |
| β 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 366 Both the kinges procurer, and also the university of Paris,..resisted with a stout courage. 1604 E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iv. xi. 240 He was in surte against the Procurer fiscal. 1721 Strype tr. Jernegan's Let. to Wolsey (1515) in Eccl. Mem. (1721) I. i. 13 Eloy de la Rice, high procurer of this City [Tournay]. 1762 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1765) III. i. 63 He married..Mary Van Gamaren, daughter of a procurer at Utrecht. |
II. 2. One who or that which brings about, effects, or induces something;
esp. one who causes something to be done by the agency of another or others; a promoter, prime mover, instigator, contriver, ultimate author. Now
rare or
Obs.| β 1451 Rolls of Parlt. V. 225/1 Which shall not be partie to eny such offence, ne Procurer, Councellour, nor Abbettour to the doyng therof. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI 157 Affirmyng him to be..the chief procurer of the death of the good duke of Gloucester. 1580–1 Act 23 Eliz. c. 8 §1 The said Melter Myngler or Corrupter Causer or Procurer thereof, shall forfeyte for everye pounde, Two Shillinges. a 1639 Wotton in Walton Angler i. (1653) 33 Angling..was..a procurer of contentedness. a 1651 Calderwood Hist. Kirk (1843) II. 346 He was neere of kin to the king, and the cheefe procurer of the matche. 1769 Chron. in Ann. Reg. 68/2 Mr. Recorder..hoped that the fate of these two unhappy persons would be a warning to all rioters..and that the procurers..as well as the procured, were not exempt, by our laws, from this catastrophe. 1776 A. Adams in Fam. Lett. (1876) 137 How shall the miserable wretches who have been the procurers of this dreadful scene..lie down with the load of guilt upon their souls? 1822 Lamb Elia Ser. ii. Confess. Drunkard, To be set on to provoke mirth which procures the procurer hatred. |
3. One who procures or obtains.
| 1538 Starkey England i. iii. 81 Al such yl-occupyd personys as be procurarys only of the vayn plesure of man. 1573–80 Baret Alv. P 741 A reconciler, or procurer of fauour, conciliator, ris. 1882–3 Schaff's Encycl. Relig. Knowl. I. 610 Having been one of the procurers of the patent for Massachusetts Colony (1628)..he finally set sail thither. |
4. One who procures women for the gratification of lust; a pander. Often feminine
= procuress 2.
| 1632 Massinger City Madam iv. ii, Thy procurer Shall be sheathed in velvet, and a reverend veil Pass her for a grave matron. 1698 Crowne Caligula iii. 23 Shall I..Provoke the proud adulterer to my couch, And be Procurer to my own reproach? a 1716 South Serm. (1727) II. 182 Strumpets in their Youth turn Procurers in their Age. 1880 Muirhead Ulpian xiii. §2 Other persons of free-birth are forbidden to marry..a freedwoman manumitted by a procurer or procuress,..or one that has been an actress. |