visitor
(ˈvɪzɪtə(r))
Also 5 visitur, -oure, 6–7 visitour (6 Sc. vesit-, vesatour).
[a. AF. visitour (Gower), = OF. visiteor, visiteur (F. visiteur), f. visiter to visit.]
1. One who visits officially for the purpose of inspection or supervision, in order to prevent or remove abuses or irregularities: a. An ecclesiastic, or a lay commissioner, appointed to visit religious establishments, churches, etc., for this end, either at regular intervals or on special occasions.
| 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 23985 Our noble Visitour, Which doth his peyne and his labour to looke for lucre and fals guerdoun. c 1440 Alph. Tales 272 Þe Abbott.. oppynlie in þe chapitr..putt forth all þies trispas of þis yong man, when þer visitur was þer. 1483 Cath. Angl. 402/2 A Visitoure, reformator proprie in religione, visitator. a 1513 Fabyan Chron. vii. 416 The maister of y⊇ Templers, with an other great ruler of the sayd ordre, which was named visitour of the same. 1550 Crowley Epigr. 749 These visitours found many stout priestes, but chieflye one That had sondrye benefices. 1585 Holinshed's Chron. II. Scotl. 440/1 After they had discharged bishops, they agreed to haue superintendents, commissioners, and visitors. 1628 Coke On Litt. 96 Where a speciall Visitor is appointed vpon the foundation, the complaint must be made to that Visitor. 1676 Degge Parson's Counsellor ii. xv. 201 The Clergy and Religious Houses came to this composition, every one to pay such a proportion to their visitors to be freed of that great oppression. 1721 in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ. VIII. 305 Whatever the Visitor ordains, the Mother Abbesse and all her Religious shall receive and execute with respect and obedience. 1732 Neal Hist. Purit. I. 18 The management of which was committed to the Lord Cromwel with the title of Visitor General. 1788 Gibbon Decl. & F. xlix. V. 102 The formidable name and mission of the Dragon his visitor-general. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. vi. II. 90 An Act was..passed, which..took away from the Crown the power of appointing visitors to superintend the Church. 1872 Jervis Gallican Ch. I. Introd. 18 An officer, called the Visitor, usually one of the bishops of the province, was appointed to preside over the proceedings. |
b. One who has a right or duty of supervision (usually exercised periodically) over a university, college, school, or similar institution.
| 1553 R. Ascham in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 16 The Visitors have taken this ordre, that every man shall professe the studie eyther of divinitie, law, or physick. 1587 Ld. Burleigh in Collect. (O.H.S.) I. 204 The Archbishop of Canterburie youre Visitor. 1643 Caryl Expos. Job v. I. 480 And over Colledges, Hospitals, and such publick Foundations, Visitors are appointed, to see [etc.]. 1691 Case of Exeter Coll. 14 In order to which he gets an Appeal drawn up, and carries it to the Lord Bishop of Exeter, visitor of the Colledge, then at London. a 1700 Evelyn Diary 9 Aug. 1682, The Council of the R. Society had it recommended to them to be trustees and visitors, or supervisors, of the Academy which Monsieur Faubert did hope to procure to be built. 1709 Swift Adv. Relig. Wks. 1755 II. i. 106 Whatever abuses..have crept into the universities..they might in a degree be reformed by strict injunctions..to the visitors and heads of houses. 1808 W. Wilson Hist. Dissent. Ch. I. 229 He was appointed by the Protector Oliver, one of the New Visitors of that University. 1829 R. Gilbert Liber Scholast. 306 The appointment of the mastership [of Sedberg] is vested in the Master and Fellows of St. John's College, Cambridge, who are the Visitors to the school. 1832 Whately in Life (1866) I. 155 In certain Colleges..fundamental statutes can only be changed by visitors. |
c. In other connexions.
| 1555 Burgh Rec. Edinb. (1871) II. 228 Thomas Boyis vesitour of the baxter craft within this burgh. 1574 in Maitl. Cl. Misc. I. 104 Superflowis bankatting,..as the bailleis and eldaris than vesatouris presentlie declarit. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. III. 862 An expert mariner or two called Visitors of the shippes, to know whether the ships be well tackled; whether they haue sufficient men. 1624 Bedell Lett. vi. 94 The French discourse printed at Antwerp cum priuilegio, and approbation of the Visitor of bookes. 1654 tr. Martini's Conq. China 154 This Governour, by reason of some corruption, and Avarice of the Visitor of the Country, had some difficulties with him. 1765 Blackstone Comm. I. 468 The founder [i.e. the King], his heirs, or assigns, are the visitors of all lay-corporations. 1766 Entick London IV. 170 The visitor (now called the ordinary of Newgate). 1897 Daily News 1 Feb. 7/5 Visitor..is the..name given to those vigilant officers of the Board whose business it is to run truants to earth. 1901 Daily Chron. 29 Aug. 7/1 In 1899 four ladies were appointed as health visitors. |
2. a. One who visits from charitable motives or with a view of doing good.
| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 205 Vertuous visitour to folkys in prisoun. 1536 Lett. Suppress. Monast. (Camden) 133 Most gracyus lord and most worthyst vycytar that ever cam amonckes us. 1610 Shakes. Temp. ii. i. 11 Seb. He receiues comfort like cold porredge. Ant. The Visitor will not giue him ore so. 1833 J. Tuckerman (title), Visitor of the Poor. 1863 Biogr. Sk. E. Fry 45 The cheerfulness visible in their [sc. prisoners'] countenances..conspired to excite the..admiration of their visitors. 1870 [see district n. 6]. |
b. One who visits with punishment.
rare.
| 1545 Joye Exp. Dan. i. 12, I am..the visitour and seker out of the wykednes of the fathers in their childern. |
3. One who pays a visit to another person or to a household; one who is staying for a time with friends.
| 1607 Shakes. Timon i. i. 42 You see this confluence, this great flood of visitors. 1662 J. Strype in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 177, I hear also my brother Sayer is often a visitor. 1693 Dryden Juvenal vi. 620 She hires Tormentors, by the Year; she Treats Her Visitours, and talks. 1697 Collier Ess. Moral Subjects ii. (1698) 137 They do not care to be crowded with Visitors,..and to be always yoaked in Ceremony. 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian Prol., Too singular in his conduct, to pass unnoticed by the visitors. 1838 Lytton Alice i. iv, She filled the rooms of the visitors with flowers. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. I. xxx. 407 After sharing the supper of their hosts, the visitors stretched themselves out and passed the night in..slumber. 1871 E. C. Grenville-Murray Member for Paris I. 287 ‘Oh, I'm only a visitor’, answered Horace modestly. |
| transf. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 130 What is done heere shalbe reuealed vnto you by mine Epistles, whiche shall not be your sealdome visitoures. 1784 Cowper Task vi. 570 The creeping vermin, loathsome to the sight,..A visitor unwelcome. |
| attrib. 1857 Dickens Dorrit xxxii, The visitor-wife and the unseasoned prisoner still lingered. |
4. a. One who visits a place, country, etc.,
esp. as a sightseer or tourist.
| 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Cynics, The Novelty of the Thing drew abundance of Visitors to the Village. 1841 Lane Arab. Nts. I. 71 Sometimes the visitors.., after having hired a person to perform a longer recitation, go away before he commences. 1860 Tyndall Glac. ii. xvii. 315 It is usual for visitors to the Montauvert to descend to the glacier. 1895 B'ham Y.M.C.A. Record Oct. 3/2 The usual time of year for the arrival in India of visitors is the middle of October. |
b. An animal or bird which occasionally or at regular seasons frequents a certain locality or area.
| 1859–62 Sir J. Richardson, etc. Mus. Nat. Hist. (1868) I. 425 The Puffin..is a summer visitor to our shores. 1863 Lyell Antiq. Man 15 The presence of the wild swan, now only a winter visitor. 1870 N. F. Hele Aldeburgh vii. 71 The Glead or Kite..is a very rare visitor. |
c. Sport. A member of a visiting team. Usu. in
pl.| 1900 W. J. Ford Cricketer on Cricket xiv. 162 Setting aside one unpleasant incident of the present trip..our visitors can hardly complain of the treatment they have received at the hands of the players, the public, or the press. 1916, 1930 [see home a. 2 c]. 1976 G. L. Greaves Over Summers Again xvi. 105 September 1966 saw Yorkshire once again..needing an outright win over Kent to give them yet another championship... Trueman and Nicholson..soon had Kent in trouble and the visitors, all out for 119, closed 91 behind. |
5. A menstrual discharge;
= visit n. 4.
slang.| 1980 Quarto June 3/2 It was shortly before my thirteenth birthday that I first had ‘Visitors’. Mother..had told me about the monthly cycle... My first ‘visitor’ was a light one. 1983 Maledicta 1982 VI. 26 Menstruation (females):..visitor. 1984 New Yorker 29 Oct. 45/3 Girls used to say they had the curse. Or they had a visitor. |
6. Comb., as
visitor centre orig. U.S., a building in a tourist area in which exhibitions, slide-shows, etc., are displayed as an introduction to the locality;
visitors' book, a book in which visitors may write their names and addresses, and, sometimes, comments;
visitors' list, a public list of those making a visit to a place,
esp. to a resort; in
quot. 1864, a list of official visitors (
visitor 1 b).
| 1964 P. Jensen National Parks i. 18 Park headquarters is also here. A *visitor center explains the features of the area. 1979 Farmington (New Mexico) Daily Times 27 May 3c/6 Visitor centers will tell tourists the speed limits will be enforced. 1979 United States 1980/81 (Penguin Travel Guides) 239 A 25-minute movie about the Battle of Shiloh is shown in the Visitor Center. 1983 Leisure, Recreation & Tourism Abstr. VIII. iv. 205/2 A new accommodation concept, and an existing visitor centre facility. |
| 1846 Punch 20 June 278/2 (heading) Ibrahim Pacha's *visitors' book. 1870 Ibid. 1 Oct. 138/2 The Emperor Nicholas..‘expressed himself much pleased’, as the visitors' books have it. 1910 Belloc Pongo & Bull vii. 96 The Duke..had very properly insisted upon the retention of the visitors' book. 1976 L. Deighton Twinkle, twinkle Little Spy xvi. 157 There was a visitors' book..a beautiful leather-bound volume..dutifully signed by the Reid-Kennedys' guests. 1984 Times 25 May 7/5 (caption) All smiles: the Queen leaving the town hall..after signing the visitors' book. |
| 1864 Mrs. Gaskell Wives & Dau. (1866) I. i. 8 Though my name has been down on the *visitors' list these three years, the countess has never named me in her note... Her ladyship would be as hurt as any one when she did not see Phœbe among the school visitors. 1904 A. E. W. Mason Truants II. vi. 105 She..bought a visitors' list at the kiosk. 1907 E. Glyn Three Weeks iv. 53 The simplest thing..seemed to descend into the hall and look at the Visitors' List... There were only a few people in the hotel. 1927 E. Bowen Hotel iii. 27 Victor..took up the local paper and began to read the visitors' list. |
Hence
ˈvisitoress,
= visitress.
Also
visitorish,
visitorless (nonce-words).
| a 1843 Southey Comm.-Pl. Bk. Ser. ii. (1849) 30/2 Their superior was called the Prepostress, and they had Visitoresses, Rectresses, and other dignitaries. |