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impostor

 - 4 dictionary results

im⋅pos⋅tor

  [im-pos-ter]
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–noun
a person who practices deception under an assumed character, identity, or name.
Also, im⋅post⋅er.

Origin:
1580–90; < LL, equiv. to L impos(i)-, var. s. of impōnere to deceive, place on (see impone ) + -tor -tor
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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im·pos·tor or im·pos·ter   (ĭm-pŏs'tər)   
n.  One who engages in deception under an assumed name or identity.

[French imposteur, from Latin impostor, one who assigns a name, from impostus, variant of impositus, past participle of impōnere, to place upon; see impose.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

impostor 
1586, from M.Fr. imposteur, from L.L. impostorem (nom. impostor), agent noun from impostus, collateral form of impositus, pp. of imponere "place upon, impose upon, deceive," from in- "in" + ponere "to put place" (see position). Imposture "act of willfully deceiving others" first recorded 1537.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: im·pos·tor
Variant: or im·pos·ter /im-'päs-t&r/
Function: noun
: one that assumes a false identity or title for the purpose of deception : IMPERSONATOR
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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