Receiver

Receiver

Noun · /rɪˈsiːvə/ · one who receives; a device that receives signals; a legal appointee to manage assets

Definition

A receiver is the person or thing that receives something. In everyday English it is the person who gets a letter, a call, or a payment. In telecommunications it is the device that picks up a transmitted signal — the earpiece of a telephone, an aerial, a satellite dish. In law it is an official appointed by a court to manage the assets of a company or individual that cannot pay its debts. In sport it is the player whose role is to receive a ball or pass. One word, multiple professional worlds — united by the single act of receiving.

Origin

From Old French receiveur, ultimately from Latin recipere — re- (back) + capere (to take). The same capere root gives us capture, recapture, and accept. A receiver is literally one who takes back or takes in. The word has been in English since the 14th century, initially in its legal and financial sense, before expanding into technology and sport.