tempter

History and Etymology for tempter

Middle English tempter, temptour, in part from tempten "to tempt" + -er -er entry 2, in part borrowed from Anglo-French temptur, tempteour, going back to Late Latin temptātor "one who entices to sin (as an epithet for Satan)," going back to Latin, "one who makes an assault on," from temptāre "to feel, test, attempt, make an assault on, attack" + -tor, agent suffix — more at tempt