sponsor

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. One who assumes responsibility for another person or a group during a period of instruction, apprenticeship, or probation.
2. n. One who vouches for the suitability of a candidate for admission.
3. n. A legislator who proposes and urges adoption of a bill.
4. n. One who presents a candidate for baptism or confirmation; a godparent.
5. n. One that finances a project or an event carried out by another person or group, especially a business enterprise that pays for radio or television programming in return for advertising time.
6. v. To act as a sponsor for.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A surety; one who binds himself to answer for another, and is responsible for his default; specifically, one who is surety for an infant at baptism, professing the Christian faith in its name, and guaranteeing its religious education; a godfather or godmother. The custom of having sponsors in baptism is as old as the second century. See godfather.
2. n. In entomology, a genus of coleopterous insects.

Wiktionary

1. n. A person or organisation with some sort of responsibility for another person or organisation, especially where the responsibility has a religious, legal, or financial aspect.
2. n. One that pays all or part of the cost of an event, a publication, or a media program, usually in exchange for advertising time.
3. n. A senior member of a twelve step or similar program assigned to a guide a new initiate and form a partnership with him
4. v. transitive To be a sponsor for.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. One who binds himself to answer for another, and is responsible for his default; a surety.
2. n. One who at the baptism of an infant professes the Christian faith in its name, and guarantees its religious education; a godfather or godmother.
3. n. A person who vouches for another as fit for some post or task.
4. n. A person or group that assumes financial responsibility for some activity, and may or may not participate in its organization and execution.
5. n. A person or organization, usually a commercial organization, which pays the cost of an activity, such as a radio or television broadcast, and in return is given the right to advertise itself or its products as part of the activity.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. an advocate who presents a person (as for an award or a degree or an introduction etc.)
2. v. assume responsibility for or leadership of
3. v. assume sponsorship of
4. n. someone who supports or champions something
5. v. do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of