donor

noun

do·​nor ˈdō-nər How to pronounce donor (audio)
-ˌnȯr
1
: one that gives, donates, or presents something
2
: one used as a source of biological material (such as blood or an organ)
3
a
: a compound capable of giving up a part (such as an atom, chemical group, or subatomic particle) for combination with an acceptor
b
: an impurity added to a semiconductor to increase the number of mobile electrons

Examples of donor in a Sentence

The money was raised from individual donors. She is one of the charity's major donors.
Recent Examples on the Web Bass’ campaign comes as wealthy Democratic donors in Los Angeles — some of the same people the mayor is counting on to open their wallets — are hyperfocused on raising money for President Biden’s reelection campaign. Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024 The fundraiser is co-hosted by a slew of longtime Donald Trump allies and prominent Republican donors, including former U.S. ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, who also served as acting director of National Intelligence in the Trump administration. Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 20 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for donor 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'donor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English donoure, from Anglo-French doneur, from Latin donator, from donare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of donor was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near donor

Cite this Entry

“Donor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/donor. Accessed 4 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

donor

noun
do·​nor ˈdō-nər How to pronounce donor (audio)
-ˌnȯr
1
: one that donates
2
: one used as a source of bodily material or parts
a blood donor
a kidney donor

Medical Definition

donor

noun
1
: one used as a source of biological material (as blood or an organ)
2
: a compound capable of giving up a part (as an atom, chemical group, or elementary particle) for combination with an acceptor

Legal Definition

donor

noun
: one that gives, donates, grants, or confers something
specifically : settlor

More from Merriam-Webster on donor

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