author

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The writer of a book, article, or other text.
2. n. One who practices writing as a profession.
3. n. One who writes or constructs an electronic document or system, such as a website.
4. n. An originator or creator, as of a theory or plan.
5. n. God.
6. v. Usage Problem To assume responsibility for the content of (a published text).
7. v. To write or construct (an electronic document or system): authored the company's website.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The beginner, former, or first mover of anything; he to whom something owes its origin; originator; creator; efficient cause: as, God is the author of the universe.
2. n. Cause: applied to things.
3. n. The original composer of a book or writing of any kind, as distinguished from a compiler, translator, editor, or copyist.
4. n. [Often used elliptically for the literary production itself: as, the statement occurs in Pliny and other ancient authors.]
5. n. An editor: as, the author of the Gentleman's Magazine.
6. n. A person who authorizes a statement; an authority; an informant.
7. n. In Scots law, one from whom a title to property is derived either by inheritance or otherwise; especially, one from whom title is derived by purchase or otherwise than by way of descent.
8. To occasion; effect; do.
9. To be authority for; vouch for.
10. n. plural A game of cards played with a special pack bearing the names of authors and their works. The pack is dealt out one at a time as far as it will go for the players engaged. The one on the left of the dealer begins by asking any player he chooses for a card of the same denomination as one in his hand, naming the suit he wants. If the player asked has it he must give it up, and the same player may-ask again; if he has not the card it becomes his turn to ask. As soon as any player gets four of the same denomination (a ‘book’) he lays them aside. The winner is the one who lays aside the greatest number of 'books in this way.

Wiktionary

1. interj. Please perform again!
2. n. The originator or creator of a work, especially of a literary composition.
3. v. To create a work as its author.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The beginner, former, or first mover of anything; hence, the efficient cause of a thing; a creator; an originator.
2. n. One who composes or writes a book; a composer, as distinguished from an editor, translator, or compiler.
3. n. The editor of a periodical.
4. n. An informant.
5. v. To occasion; to originate.
6. v. To tell; to say; to declare.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
2. v. be the author of
3. n. someone who originates or causes or initiates something