Main Entry: cul·prit

Pronunciation: \ˈkəl-prət, -ˌprit\

Function: noun

Etymology: Anglo-French cul. (abbreviation of culpable guilty) + prest, prit ready (i.e., to prove it), from Latin praestus — more at presto

Date: 1678

1 : one accused of or charged with a crime
2 : one guilty of a crime or a fault
3 : the source or cause of a problem