Compurgator
Origin
From Medieval Latin compurgator or Middle French compurgateur, from Latin to purify.
Full definition of compurgator
Noun
compurgator
(plural compurgators)- (now historical, legal) A character witness in canon law who swore an oath that the accused was innocent.
- 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 2012, p. 244:If a wise woman fell under suspicion from the authorities her neighbours might rally to her defence, providing compurgators in court, or drawing up certificates testifying to her innocence.
- (historical, legal) An ‘oath-helper’ in Anglo-Saxon or Germanic law who testified to the character of an accused person.
- More generally, someone who vouches for another person's innocence, trustworthiness etc.