pander

English

WOTD – 18 July 2006    

Alternative forms

• pandar

Etymology

From Chaucer’s character Pandare (in Troilus and Criseyde), from Italian Pandaro (found in Boccaccio), from Latin Pandarus, from Ancient Greek Πάνδαρος. (See also Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida).

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈpandə/ or /ˈpændə/
• (US) IPA: /ˈpændɚ/, X-SAMPA: /"p{nd@`/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

pander (plural panders)

1. A person who furthers the illicit love-affairs of others; a pimp or procurer, especially when male. (Later panderer.)
   • 1992, Moncrieff/Kilmartin/Enright, translating Marcel Proust, Swann’s Way, Folio Society 2005, p. 190:

     It was not only the brilliant phalanx of virtuous dowagers, generals and academicians with whom he was most intimately associated that Swann so cynically compelled to serve him as panders.

2. An offer of illicit sex with a third party.
3. An illicit or illegal offer, usually to tempt.
4. (by extension) One who ministers to the evil designs and passions of another.
   • Burke

     Those wicked panders to avarice and ambition.

Translations

pimp or procurer

• Dutch: pooier (nl) m
• Russian: сутенёр (ru) (sutenjór) m, сводник (ru) (svodnik) m

offer of illicit sex with a third party

illicit or illegal offer

translations to be checked

• French: entremetteur (fr)
• German: Kuppler (de)
• Italian: ruffiano (it), mezzano (it)

• Spanish: alcahuete (es)
• Volapük: (male or female) lupärodan (vo), (male) hilupärodan (vo), (female) jilupärodan (vo)

Verb

pander (third-person singular simple present panders, present participle pandering, simple past and past participle pandered)

1. (intransitive) To offer illicit sex with a third party; to pimp.
2. (intransitive) To tempt with, to appeal or cater to (improper motivations etc.); to assist in the gratification of.

   His latest speech simply seems to pander to the worst instincts of the electorate.

Translations

offer illicit sex with a third party

• Dutch: koppelen (nl)
• German: verkuppeln (de)

• Russian: сводничать (ru) (svodničatʹ)

appeal or cater to

• Dutch: aan (nl) iets (nl) doen (nl) denken (nl)
• German: an etw. appelieren

• Russian: потворствовать (ru) (potvorstvovatʹ), потакать (ru) (potakatʹ)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch: verwijzen naar (nl)
• Italian: compiacere (it), assecondare (it), fare da mezzano (it), fare il magnaccia (it)

Related terms

• demagogism

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Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpanə/, [ˈpanə]

Noun

pander c

1. plural indefinite of pande

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Latin

Verb

pander

1. first-person singular present passive subjunctive of pandō