slang. A person who provides financial backing for a theatrical production or (in later use) any business enterprise. Cf. angel investor n. at…

transferred and figurative: esp. a man who ‘does wonders’ in his profession: in recent use often trivially applied to an expert. Also frequently as f…

(a) derogatory = venture capitalist n. at venture, n. compounds; (b) chiefly depreciative an investor in the assets or debts of failing companies; = v…