sb. and a. Also 7 -ante, 8 -ent. [ad. L. exāminant-em, pr. pple. of exāmināre: see EXAMINE v. and -ANT.
The passive sense 2 (in our quots. earlier than 1) is unetymological; app. it was felt that the older EXAMINATE sb. etymologically meant rather ‘one who has been examined’ than ‘one who is being examined,’ and the derivative of the pr. pple. was adopted to express the latter notion.]
A. sb.
1. One who examines; esp. one who conducts a judicial or academic examination; an examiner.
1620. Shelton, Quix., III. II. i. Don Quixote … was so discreet, that the two examinants undoubtedly believed he was quite well.
1661. Evelyn, Diary, 13 May. The Examinants or Posers were Dr. Duport, Greek Professor at Cambridge; Dr. Fell [etc.].
a. 1797. H. Walpole, Mem. Geo. II., III. 271. The chief examinents were General Cholmondeley and Lord Albemarle.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xiii. The upper end, where the examinants sate, was thrown into shadow.
1847. Disraeli, Tancred, III. VI. xi. 286. Some converts … were … older Christians than either of their examinants.
1859. J. C. Hobhouse, Italy, I. 288. Objects whose authenticity may be questioned by the first cool examinant.
b. In comb. self-examinant (nonce-word).
1825. Coleridge, Aids Refl. (1854), 126. If the self-examinant will abandon this position.
† 2. a. One who is being examined; one who is being examined as a witness; a deponent. Obs.
1588. Losses Span. Navy, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), II. 52. The admiral came away with seven and twenty sail, which this examinant did tell.
1621. Elsing, Debates Ho. Lords (Camden), 29. She slaundered the examinant: being tolld of the daunger of a sclaunder, she is fledd.
1712. Arbuthnot, John Bull, II. viii. (1755), 66. He brought a certain powder to his mistress, which the examinant believes to be the same.
1777. T. McKean, in Sparks, Corr. Amer. Rev. (1853), I. 446. John Pierpoint, one of the examinants, said … that a great number of … officers were killed.
1812. J. J. Henry, Camp. agst. Quebec, 161. The questions … did not admit of equivocation or evasion, if the examinants had been so inclined.
† b. One who undergoes an examination as to his fitness for church-membership, ordination, etc.; an examinee. Obs.
1633. D. Rogers, Treat. Sacraments, ii. 14. To instruct all Christian examinants, in their triall to be carefull of themselves.
1663. Flagellum; or O. Cromwell (1672), 148. The questions these men put to the Examinants, was not of Abilities or Learning, but [etc.].
1715. Prideaux, On Ref. Two Univ., in Life, 234. The examiners shall examine two at a time … the examinants shall appear before them, in classes of six at a time.
† B. adj. That has the function of examining.
1653. Milton, Hirelings (1659), 104–5. For the magistrate … by his examinant committies to circumscribe her free election of ministers.
