(a) One who voluntarily gives away a possession, one who gives a gift freely and unconditionally, a giver; also, one who gives alms; almesse ~; (b) a contributor to an institution, donor; (c) one who confers favors, benefices, or gifts by virtue of office or high station; yeveres of chirches, simoniacs; (d) one who gives in discharge of a debt, in hope of return, or otherwise in exchange.

(a) A dispenser (of power); a giver (of honors, grace, etc.);—freq. used in ref. to God; ~ of benefices, in Hellenistic title: a Benefactor; (b) ~ of counseil, a counselor, an advisor; ~ of the laue, the laue ~, the supreme lawgiver, the giver of divine law; yeveres of laue, laue yeveres, legislators, teachers; (c) in comb.: exaumple ~, an exemplar.

(a) Someone or something responsible for communicating some aspect of itself to another; an author, imparter, a source; (b) ~ of hele (helthe), helthe ~, translating either L salutare n. or salutaris adj. as n.: ?deliverance, salvation; ?a deliverer, savior; (c) a producer, generator; ~ of light, a lamp [transl. L luminare].