Sponsor

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Sponsor \Spon"sor\ (-s[~e]r), n. [L., from spondere, sponsum, to
     engage one's self. See {Spouse}.]
     1. One who binds himself to answer for another, and is
        responsible for his default; a surety.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. One who at the baptism of an infant professes the
        Christian faith in its name, and guarantees its religious
        education; a godfather or godmother.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. A person who vouches for another as fit for some post or
        task; as, one needs two sponsors to be considered for
        membership.
        [PJC]
  
     4. A person or group that assumes financial responsibility
        for some activity, and may or may not participate in its
        organization and execution.
        [PJC]
  
     5. A person or organization, usually a commercial
        organization, which pays the cost of an activity, such as
        a radio or television broadcast, and in return is given
        the right to advertise itself or its products as part of
        the activity; as, now a word from our sponsor.
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  sponsor
       n 1: someone who supports or champions something [syn: {patron},
            {supporter}]
       2: an advocate who presents a person (as for an award or a
          degree or an introduction etc.) [syn: {presenter}]
       v 1: assume sponsorship of [syn: {patronize}, {patronise}]
       2: assume responsibility for or leadership of; "The senator
          announced that he would sponsor the health care plan"
       3: do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or
          client of [syn: {patronize}, {patronise}, {shop}, {shop at},
           {buy at}, {frequent}] [ant: {boycott}, {boycott}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  98 Moby Thesaurus words for "sponsor":
     Maecenas, abettor, accept the responsibility, admirer, advocate,
     aficionado, angel, answer for, apologist, assure, attest, back,
     backer, bailsman, bankroll, be sponsor for, benefactor, bond,
     bondsman, buff, capitalize, certify, champion, confirm,
     countersecure, defender, dependence, encourager, endorse, endorser,
     ensure, exponent, fan, favorer, finance, financer, friend at court,
     fund, funder, godfather, godparent, grubstake, grubstaker,
     guarantee, guarantor, guaranty, insure, insurer, lover, mainpernor,
     mainstay, maintainer, meal ticket, mortgagor, paranymph, partisan,
     patron, patronize, pay for, promote, promoter, protagonist,
     provide for, refinance, reliance, second, seconder, sectary,
     secure, set up, sider, sign, sign for, stake, staker, stalwart,
     stand behind, stand sponsor for, stand up for, standby,
     subscribe to, subsidize, subsidizer, support, supporter, surety,
     sustainer, sympathizer, take the blame, take up, undersign,
     underwrite, underwriter, upholder, votary, warrant, warrantor,
     well-wisher
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  SPONSOR, civil law. He who intervenes for another voluntarily and without 
  being requested. The engagement which he enters into is only accessory to 
  the principal. Vide Dig. 17, 1, 18; Nov. 4, ch. 1 Code de Com. art. 158, 
  159; Code Nap. 1236 Wolff, Inst. Sec. 1556.