Barrator

barrator is also spelled barrater. See also barratry, barratrous, barrat.

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From Robert Cawdrey's 1604 A Table Alphabeticall :

a contentious person, quarreller, or fighter

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From Samuel Johnson's 1755 A Dictionary of the English Language,

n. s. [from barat, old Fr. from which is still retained barateur, a cheat] A wrangler, an encourager of lawsuits.

Will it not reflect as much on thy character, Nic, to turn barrator in thy old days, a stirrer up of quarrels amongst thy neighbors.
                        --- Arbuthnot's History of John Bull

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From Webster's New International Dictionary, 1909

[ME. baratour, OF. barateor deceiver, fr. OF. barater, bareter, to deceive, barter. See barterer, v. i.]

1. One guilty of barratry.
2. A fighter; a quarrelsome person; bully; rowdy. Obs.

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From www.m-w.com : one who engages in barratry

Bar"ra*tor (?), n. [OE. baratour, OF. barateor deceiver, fr. OF. barater, bareter, to deceive, cheat, barter. See Barter, v. i.]

One guilty of barratry.

 

© Webster 1913.