donor

[doh-ner] /ˈdoʊ nər/
noun
1.
a person who gives or donates.
2.
Medicine/Medical. a person or animal providing blood, an organ, bone marrow cells, or other biological tissue for transfusion or transplantation: sperm donor; organ donor.
3.
Law. a person who gives property by gift, legacy, or devise, or who confers a power of appointment.
adjective
4.
of or pertaining to the biological tissue of a donor:
donor organ.
Origin
1400-50; late Middle English donour < Anglo-French (Old French doneur) < Latin dōnātor, equivalent to dōnā(re) (see donation) + -tor -tor
Related forms
donorship, noun
predonor, noun
Synonyms
1. supporter, contributor, sponsor, patron.
Examples from the web for donors
  • The prevalence of mad cow disease is one in a million, probably less for donors.
  • It was necessary to get the shortage of donors back on the political agenda.
British Dictionary definitions for donors

donor

/ˈdəʊnə/
noun
1.
a person who makes a donation
2.
(med) any person who voluntarily gives blood, skin, a kidney etc, for use in the treatment of another person
3.
(law)
  1. a person who makes a gift of property
  2. a person who bestows upon another a power of appointment over property
4.
the atom supplying both electrons in a coordinate bond
5.
an impurity, such as antimony or arsenic, that is added to a semiconductor material in order to increase its n-type conductivity by contributing free electrons Compare acceptor (sense 2)
Derived Forms
donorship, noun
Word Origin
C15: from Old French doneur, from Latin dōnātor, from dōnāre to give
Word Origin and History for donors

donor

n.

mid-15c., from Anglo-French donour, Old French doneur (Modern French donneur), from Latin donatorem (nominative donator) "giver, donor," agent noun from past participle stem of donare "give as a gift" (see donation). Of blood, from 1910; of organs or tissues, from 1918.

donors in Medicine

donor do·nor (dō'nər)
n.

  1. One from whom blood, tissue, or an organ is taken for use in a transfusion or transplant.

  2. A chemical compound that can transfer an atom, a radical, or a particle to an acceptor.

donors in Science
donor
  (dō'nər)   

  1. An atom or molecule that releases one or more electrons to another atom or molecule, resulting in a chemical bond or flow of electric current. Compare acceptor. See also electron carrier.

  2. An individual from whom blood, tissue, or an organ is taken for transfusion, implantation, or transplant.