A person who is guilty of avoutry (adultery); someone committing unlawful sexual relations.
From Old French 'avouter' (adulterer), related to 'avow' through the concept of 'claiming' or 'acknowledging.' The word evolved from legal terminology for confessed adultery.
This word is a reminder that 'avow' has a darker side—an avowter was someone whose sins were so obvious they couldn't deny them. Medieval literature used this word to shame adulterers, making avowal itself a form of public judgment.
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