devisors

Devisors is the plural form of devisor, a term with multiple meanings in English law and, in historical mathematics, as an occasional variant spelling of divisor. In modern usage the word is uncommon outside specific legal or historical contexts.

In law, a devisor is the person who makes a devise by will—i.e., who transfers real property through a testament. The devisor is typically the testator, although some sources also use the term deviser as a synonym. The recipient of a devise is called a devisee. Modern practice more commonly uses testator for the person who makes the will and devisee for the beneficiary, while devising refers to the act of transferring real property by will. Debates about validity, interpretation, and probate can affect how a devise is carried out under applicable laws.

In historical mathematics, devisor has appeared as an older or less common variant spelling of divisor—the number that divides another number. Today, divisor is the standard term, with related notions such as proper divisors (divisors excluding the number itself) and the study of divisors playing a central role in number theory. The usage is largely of antiquarian interest, appearing in older texts or in discussions of linguistic variants.

Notes on usage: the term devisor is primarily of historical or specialized legal interest. In contemporary law, terms such as testator, devise, devisee, and probate are preferred, while in mathematics the standard spelling is divisor.