cul ‧ prit /ˈkʌlprət, ˈkʌlprɪt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Anglo-French ; Origin: cul (from culpable 'guilty' ) + prit 'ready (to prove it)' ]
1 . the person who is guilty of a crime or doing something wrong ⇨ victim :
Police finally managed to catch the culprit.
2 . informal the reason for a particular problem or difficulty:
High production costs are the main culprit.