suitor

noun

1. One who pursues someone, especially a woman, for a romantic relationship or marriage; a wooer; one who falls in love with or courts someone.

   “(Notice that "Lysias" begins from the realistic assumption that an attractive young man with many suitors will "gratify" one of them, the only question being which. Rightly or wrongly, he treats the question, "Shall I at all?" as already resolved.)”

2. (broadly)A person or organization that expresses an interest in working with, or taking over, another.

   “[…] and Mortimer asserted he had no shortage of suitors ready, willing, and able to make acquisition loans […]”

   “The Betaville blog wrote earlier this week about market speculation that Adevinta was attracting takeover interest, without naming the suitors.”

3. A party to a suit or litigation.
4. One who sues, petitions, solicits, or entreats; a petitioner.

verb

1. To play the suitor; to woo; to make love.