Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A deceased person who has left a legally valid will.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who makes a will or testament; one who has made a will or testament and dies leaving it in force.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Law) A man who makes and leaves a will, or testament, at death.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun law One who dies having made a legally valid will.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a person who makes a will

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English testatour, from Anglo-Norman, from Latin testātor, from testārī, to make one's will; see testament.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin testator ("one who makes a will, in Late Latin also one who bears witness"), from testari ("to bear witness, make a will"); see testament.

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Examples

  • "A very great one," replied Parlamente, "when the testator is in his sound senses, and not raving."

    The Heptameron of Margaret, Queen of Navarre 1855

  • He here condescended in the presence of his disciples to publish his last will and testament, and (which many a testator is shy of) lets them know what legacies he had left them, and how well they were secured, that they might have strong consolation.

    Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume V (Matthew to John) 1721

  • He was met with the response that the testator was a mariner at sea (in fact, he was a pilot on the Manchester ship canal).

    Also Good for Omelets 2006

  • {198} In a note on the Will, Mr. Maddison says, “The testator was the second son of Robert Dighton (of St.rton), by his wife, Joyce St. Paul (a lady of another very old and well-connected county family).”

    Records of Woodhall Spa and Neighbourhood Historical, Anecdotal, Physiographical, and Archaeological, with Other Matter James Conway Walter

  • The testator is a man of ample means, without any responsibilities to fetter his movements, and has been in the constant habit of traveling, often into remote and distant regions.

    The Eye of Osiris 1902

  • Supposing then that the testator died within a year, but that a condition, subject to which the heir was instituted, was not fulfilled within the year, would it be feigned that the testator was a soldier at the date of his decease, and the testament consequently upheld? and this question we answer in the affirmative.

    The Institutes of Justinian John Baron Moyle 1891

  • It is therefore, at least, not improbable that the testator was a native of Lincolnshire.

    Notes and Queries, Number 35, June 29, 1850 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc Various 1852

  • The Author has had recourse to every means within his reach to assure himself of the genuineness of this document, and to ascertain (p. 378) that the testator was the William Gascoyne [339] who was Chief Justice of the King's Bench.

    Henry of Monmouth, Volume 1 Memoirs of Henry the Fifth James Endell Tyler 1820

  • Her Baltimore ancestor's will is extant, has been examined by Old Mortality's great-grandson, and announces in a kind of preamble that the testator was a native of Donegal; his Christian name was William ( "Notes and Queries," Fourth Series, vol.vii. p. 219, and Fifth Series, August, 1874).

    Old Mortality, Volume 1. Walter Scott 1801

  • Her Baltimore ancestor's will is extant, has been examined by Old Mortality's great-grandson, and announces in a kind of preamble that the testator was a native of Donegal; his Christian name was William ( "Notes and Queries," Fourth Series, vol.vii. p. 219, and Fifth Series, August, 1874).

    Old Mortality, Complete Walter Scott 1801

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  • An evil Decepticon that can transform into one of those ScanTron machines.

    October 24, 2008