prompter (n.)

1540s, "one who or that which incites to action," agent noun from prompt (v.)). Earlier was promptator (mid-15c.), from Medieval Latin. Meaning "one who helps a speaker or reciter" is from 1590s; the specific theatrical sense is from c. 1600.

also from 1540s

Entries linking to prompter

prompt (v.)

mid-14c., prompten, "to incite to action, urge," from the adjective or from Latin promptus, past participle of promere "to bring forth," from pro "forward" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward") + emere "to take" (from PIE root *em- "to take, distribute").

The meaning "coach (someone), assist (a learner or speaker) by suggesting something forgotten or imperfectly learned or known" is from early 15c.; specifically in the theatrical sense of "to assist a speaker with lines" by 1670s. Related: Prompted; prompting.

teleprompter (n.)

"electric device displaying a speaker's script out of sight of cameras," 1951, originally a proprietary name in U.S., from tele- + prompter. The equivalent British proprietary name is Autocue.

Trends of prompter

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to Explore

wing

sense of an actor learning his lines in the wings before going onstage, or else not learning them at all and being fed by a prompter...

nomenclature

Nomenclator in Rome was the title of a steward whose job was to announce visitors, and also of a prompter who helped a stumping...

supporter

early 15c., "adherent, partisan, one who upholds or helps to carry on the interests of another," agent noun from support (v.). Fem. form supportress is by 1620s. The meaning "that which sustains the weight of something else" physically (in ship-building, etc.) is from 1590s. As "

help

Old English helpan "to help, support, succor; benefit, do good to; cure, amend" (transitive, class III strong verb; past tense healp, past participle holpen), from Proto-Germanic *helpanan (source also of Old Norse hjalpa, Old Frisian helpa, Middle Dutch and Dutch helpen, Old Hig

device

c. 1300, devis, "intent, desire; an expressed intent or desire; a plan or design; a literary composition," from Old French devis "division, separation; disposition, wish, desire; coat of arms, emblem; a bequest in a will, act of bequeathing," from deviser "arrange, plan, contrive

theater

late 14c., "open air place in ancient times for viewing spectacles and plays," from Old French theatre (12c., Modern French théâtre, improperly accented) and directly from Latin theatrum "play-house, theater; stage; spectators in a theater" (source also of Spanish, Italian teatro

again

late Old English agan, from earlier ongean (prep.) "toward; opposite, against, contrary to; in exchange for," as an adverb "in the opposite direction, back, to or toward a former place or position," from on "on" (see on (prep.) and compare a- (1)) + -gegn "against, toward." This

protocol

mid-15c., prothogol, "prologue;" 1540s, prothogall, "draft of a document, minutes of a transaction or negotiation, original of any writing" (senses now obsolete), from French prothocole (c. 1200, Modern French protocole), from Medieval Latin protocollum "draft," literally "the fi

deacon

Middle English deken, "one who reads the Gospel in divine worship, one of a body of assistants to a priest or other clergyman," from Old English deacon, diacon, from Late Latin diaconus, from Greek diakonos "servant of the church, religious official," literally "servant," from di

sleuth

late 12c., sloth, "track or trail of a person or beast," from Old Norse sloð "trail or track," as of a person in snow, a word of uncertain origin. The meaning "detective" is attested by 1872, a shortening of sleuth-hound "keen investigator" (1849), a figurative use of that word,

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updated on December 07, 2020

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Dictionary entries near prompter

promote

promoter

promotion

promotional

prompt

prompter

promptitude

promptness

promulgate

promulgation

pronate