A donor in general is a person, organization or government which donates something voluntarily. The term is usually used to represent a form of pure altruism, but is sometimes used when the payment for a service is recognized by all parties as representing less than the value of the donation and that the motivation is altruistic. In business law a donor is someone who is giving the gift (law), and a donee the person receiving the gift.
More broadly, the term is used to refer to any entity that serves as the source of something transferred to a different entity, including - in scientific fields - the source of matter or energy passed from one object to another.
The Online Etymology Dictionary traces the English-language word "donor" back to the mid-15th century, with origins in Anglo-French, Old French, Latin and Proto-Indo-European.
In science
Often the word is used as a shorter term for:
- Blood donor
- Donor (semiconductors)
- Egg donor
- Electron donor — (by analogy) a technical term in chemistry and semiconductor physics (see also the next entry)
- Organ donor
- Sperm donor
In society and international relations
- Benefactor (law)
- Donor government or donor organisation in official development assistance
- Grant (law)
- Patronage
In art
- Donor portrait — portrait of the person who paid for a painting, typically in a church
In literature
In fairy tales, a donor is a stock character that tests the hero (and sometimes other characters as well) and provides magical assistance to the hero when he succeeds.
See also
- Sponsor (commercial)
The dictionary definition of donor at Wiktionary
Index of articles associated with the same name
This set index article includes a list of related items that share the same name (or similar names). If an internal link incorrectly led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
References
- Harper, Douglas. "donor". Online Etymology Dictionary.