donor

noun

do·​nor ˈdō-nər 

-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

Synonyms

• angel
• benefactor
• donator
• fairy godmother
• Maecenas
• patron
• sugar daddy

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

Writing alongside a photo of her and her dog, Roberts thanked her medical team, family, friends and sister Sally-Ann, who also served as her donor, for their support. —Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023

But until then, expanding the number of heart transplants will require using donor hearts. —Joseph Goldstein, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023

Its cast is a healthy mix of sympathetic heroes (the kidney donor, the mother-son duo) and obvious villains (the arrogant bro who compares his competitive streak to, um, Jesus Christ’s). —Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023

That includes private jet trips and vacations from Texas real estate developer and conservative donor Harlan Crow. —Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023

Her organization doesn’t directly fund nonprofits but advises philanthropic donors in the space with a focus on racial justice. —Thalia Beaty, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2023

In the live monkey, donor cells made up 67 percent of its tissues on average, but across the 26 different tissue types tested, that number ranged between 21 percent and 92 percent. —Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023

Other major donors continue to cover the foundation’s costs, Whittaker says—Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey, for instance, has pledged $1 million a year, and others Whittaker declines to name have given similarly large contributions. —WIRED, 15 Nov. 2023

DeLuca’s style of philanthropy falls in line with a new cohort of women quietly giving away their fortunes, with none of the pomp and flash that some donors lean into. —Jemima McEvoy, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

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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

Phrases Containing donor

• donor card
• universal donor
• sperm donor

• donor card
• universal donor
• sperm donor

Kids Definition

donor

noun

do·​nor ˈdō-nər 

-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

do·​nor ˈdō-nər  -ˌnȯ(ə)r 

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

do·​nor ˈdō-nər, -ˌnȯr 

: one that gives, donates, grants, or confers something

specifically : settlor