ILLU'MINATOR, noun He or that which illuminates or gives light. 1. One whose occupation is to decorate manuscripts and books with pictures, portraits and drawings of any kind. This practice began among the Romans, and was continued during the middle ages. The manuscripts containing portraits, pictures and emblematic figures, form a valuable part of the riches preserved in the principal libraries in Europe. From this word, by contraction, is formed limner.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI