sourcerer

English

Alternative forms

• sourceror

Etymology

From source and sorcerer.

Noun

sourcerer (plural sourcerers)

1. (informal, journalism) A source that massages information they provide to the press to fit their agenda
   • 1983, Abraham Henry Raskin, Who Said That?:

     He has an opposite belief when it comes to "sourcerers," a category in which he puts the Kissingers, the Haigs, and the Weinbergers -- people whose goal, as Mr. Smyser sees it, is to use the press, and ultimately the public, as a means to an end.

   • 1992, Hastings communications and entertainment law journal, page 396:

     Media whistleblowers cannot be summarily characterized either as "sources" or "sourcerers".

   • 1997, Louis S. Freeman, Tax Strategies for Corporate Acquisitions, Dispositions, Spin-offs, Joint Ventures and Other Strategic Alliances, Financings, Reorganizations and Restructurings, Volumes 3-4:

     Neither the government litigators nor the evil sourcerers could count on prevailing on any particular set of facts.

   • 2003, Sharyl Attkisson, Don Rodney Vaughan, Writing Right for Broadcast and Internet News, →ISBN, page 100:

     All effective sourcerers are part news detective.

2. (informal, business) A procurement officer, a buyer, someone who sources goods.
   • 1979, Broadcasting, page 16:

     Our chief "Sourcerers" are Big Jim Cameron, former News Director, WCOZ, and John McGhon, former Program Director, WDVE.

   • 1989, Seafood Leader, page 30:

     The Iatest from the surimi sourcerers. Quality FRESH TUNA!

   • 2016 June 22, Robin D. Schatz, “What A Chocolate 'Sourcerer' Learned From Working At Google”, in Forbes:

     Greg D'Alesandre, "chocolate sourcerer" and co-owner at Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco, spent six years as a group product manager at Google before pursuing his lifelong dream of making a living making chocolate.

3. (informal, computing) A programmer, a coder, someone who works with source code.
   • 2013 October 2, Dan Gillmor, “In praise of Richard Stallman, GNU's open sourcerer”, in The Guardian:

     (see title)

Related terms

• (buyer): sourcer