— authorial /aw thawr"ee euhl, aw thohr"-/ , adj. — authorless , adj.
/aw"theuhr/ , n.
1. a person who writes a novel, poem, essay, etc.; the composer of a literary work, as distinguished from a compiler, translator, editor, or copyist.
2. the literary production or productions of a writer: to find a passage in an author.
3. the maker of anything; creator; originator: the author of a new tax plan.
4. Computers. the writer of a software program, esp. a hypertext or multimedia application.
v.t.
5. to write; be the author of: He authored a history of the Civil War.
6. to originate; create a design for: She authored a new system for teaching chemistry.
[ 1250-1300; earlier auct ( h ) or auctor writer, progenitor, equiv. to aug ( ere ) to increase, AUGMENT + -tor -TOR; r. ME auto ( u ) r autor ]