a person who looks on or watches; onlooker; observer.
a person who is present at and views a spectacle, display, or the like; member of an audience.
Also called spectator shoe . a white shoe with a perforated wing tip and back trim, traditionally of dark brown, dark blue, or black but sometimes of a lighter color.
Origin of spectator
1580–90; <Latin spectātor, equivalent to spectā(re), frequentative of specere to look, regard + -tor-tor
OTHER WORDS FROM spectator
spec·ta·to·ri·al[spek-tuh-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr-], /ˌspɛk təˈtɔr i əl, -ˈtoʊr-/, adjective
Employees at Capital One can mix with clients and senior leaders at cultural and spectator sporting events, in fitness classes, and at lunches.
The Best Workplaces for Women are expanding the turf for women in finance|lbelanger225|September 18, 2020|Fortune
The findings indicate that acorn woodpeckers are willing to invest an impressive amount of time and energy in these power struggles, whether they are warriors or spectators.
Blood, death, and eye gouging: welcome to the world of acorn woodpeckers|Kate Baggaley|September 9, 2020|Popular Science
Boos came from some of the families and friends in the spectator seats.
Cop Families Boo De Blasio at NYPD Graduation|Michael Daly|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These days, authoritative feminist discourse is no longer just a spectator sport.
The Perils of Glitzy Celebrity Feminism Having a Moment|Amy Zimmerman|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He breaks down the divide between himself, as performer, and the fan, as spectator.
I'm Not Country or Pop. I'm Just Pure Garth Brooks.|David Masciotra|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then one daring, possibly planted, spectator interrupted the show to profess her crush.
The Bachelor Farmville: No One Wants to Watch Chris Soules Plant His Seed|Brandy Zadrozny|August 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Through this, an active role is given to the spectator, who has inadvertently become an intrinsic part of the artwork.
10 Works to See at the Armory Show in New York City|Justin Jones|March 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One is my dedication for my essays; it was occasioned by that delicious article in the Spectator.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 23 (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson
A gentle noise, so gentle that the spectator almost deems it unintentional, is now heard.
Vivian Grey|Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli
Miss Elsham was just inside the door, where she had posted herself as a spectator and listener.
Joan of Arc of the North Woods|Holman Day
But I felt vividly that I was present as a spectator of my own suicide, and thought myself a feeble kind of fool.
Adventures on the Roof of the World|Mrs. Aubrey Le Blond
When I was placed in the dock, I looked about with an interest no more vivid than that of any spectator there.
The Romance Of Giovanni Calvotti|David Christie Murray
British Dictionary definitions for spectator
spectator
/ (spɛkˈteɪtə) /
noun
a person viewing anything; onlooker; observer
Word Origin for spectator
C16: from Latin, from spectāre to watch; see spectacle