culprit
/ˈkʌlprɪt/noun
1- a person who is responsible for a crime or other misdeed罪犯, 犯人; 导致过错的人。
1.1
- the cause of a problem or defect问题（或缺点）的成因：
low-level ozone pollution is the real culprit.
低空的臭氧污染才是问题的真正根源。
词源
late 17th cent. （originally in the formula Culprit, how will you be tried?, said by the Clerk of the Crown to a prisoner pleading not guilty）： perhaps from a misinterpretation of the written abbreviation cul. prist, for Anglo-Norman French Culpable: prest d'averrer notre bille (You are) guilty: (We are) ready to prove our indictment'; in later use influenced by Latin culpa 'fault, blame'.