Forms: 5 Sc. treyter, 6 Sc. tretar, 7, 9 treator, 6– treater. [In sense 1, a. OF. traiteor, traiteur ambassador (1275 in Godef.); in other senses, f. TREAT v. + -ER1.] One who treats, in any sense of the verb.
1. One who negotiates terms of settlement; a negotiator.
1489. Barbour’s Bruce, X. 125. Schir alexander of Argill … send tretis [Edinb. MS. treyteris] to þe king, And com his man but tarying.
1550. Reg. Privy Council Scot., I. 91. Subscrivit be the commissaris, tretaris of the pece betuix France and Ingland.
1644. Pr. Rupert’s Jrnl., 20 Nov., in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1898), XIII. 738. Treaters came with 27 propositions.
a. 1656. Ussher, Ann., VI. (1658), 368. And he instead of a treator, played the traitor with them.
1859. W. Chadwick, Life De Foe, vi. 324. A misunderstanding among the treaters or negotiators.
1885. H. C. McCook, Tenants Old Farm, ii. (1888), 13. A pedigree ante-dating William Penn,… his treaties and his aboriginal treators.
2. One who treats of or writes upon a subject.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc. (1636), A iij b. Modern Writers, and Treators of that Art.
1892. A. C. Deane, Frivolous Verses, Eng. Lit. Tripos, v.
| Here we possess highly competent treaters, | |
| Ready to deal with all authors of note; | |
| Jebb will discourse on Gilbertian metres, | |
| Verrall will edit ‘Three men in a boat.’ |
3. One who gives a treat, or stands treat; an entertainer, feaster.
1692. E. Walker, trans. Epictetus’ Mor., lvii. You may, ’tis true, your Appetite appease, But not your Company, nor Treater please.
1884. [see TREATEE].
1906. Daily Chron., 19 June, 6/3. Any hospitality which is likely to secure to the treater the goodwill of the treated, which has reference to some election,… is ‘corrupt treating.’
