receptor n.

c. 1300, receiven, "take into one's possession, accept possession of," also in reference to the sacrament, from Old North French receivre (Old French recoivre) "seize, take hold of, pick up; welcome, accept," from Latin recipere "regain, take back, bring back, carry back, recover; take to oneself, take in, admit," from re- "back," though the exact sense here is obscure (see re-) + -cipere, combining form of capere "to take" (from PIE root *kap- "to grasp").

From c. 1300 as "welcome (in a specified manner)." From early 14c. as "catch in the manner of a receptacle." From mid-14c. as "obtain as one's reward." From late 14c. as "accept as authoritative or true;" also late 14c. as "have a blow or wound inflicted." Radio and (later) television sense is attested from 1908. Related: Received; receiving. Receiving line is by 1933.

Other obsolete English verbs from the same Latin word in different forms included recept "to receive, take in" (early 15c., recepten, from Old French recepter, variant of receter and Latin receptus). Also compare receipt, which also had a verb form in Middle English, receiten.

mid-14c., receivour (mid-13c. as a surname, probably in the "government clerk" sense), "a recipient; a receiver (of stolen goods); person who knowingly harbors criminals," also "government official appointed to collect or receive money due," agent noun from receive, or from Old French recevere (Modern French receveur), agent noun from recievere.

From late 14c. as "receptacle, container." As a telephone apparatus, from 1877; in reference to a radio unit, from 1891; in U.S. football sense, from 1897. Middle English also has receitour in the sense "receiver of stolen goods" (late 14c.); also compare receptor.