raper

This is an archaic English word meaning "a person who commits rape" or "a rapist." It is rarely used in modern English, where "rapist" is the normal word. It comes from the verb "rape" with the suffix "-er," which is used for someone who does an action.

Today, you are far more likely to see this word in historical texts or old legal documents than in modern writing. If it appears now, it is usually in historical or literary discussion. It is also completely different from "rapper" with two "p"s, which means a hip-hop artist.

Raper is an obsolete or archaic term meaning "a person who commits rape." While it follows a common English word-formation pattern—adding "-er" to a verb to create a noun describing someone who does that action—this particular form has fallen out of use in contemporary English.

The modern standard term is "rapist," which has replaced "raper" in virtually all contexts. You might encounter "raper" in older literature, historical legal documents, or when reading texts from the 18th or 19th centuries, but it's not used in modern speech or writing.

One common source of confusion is the spelling difference between "raper" (one "p") and "rapper" (two 'p's). These are entirely different words: "rapper" refers to a performer of rap music and is very much a current, widely-used term. The single "p" spelling relates to the archaic meaning discussed here.