in the dock
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On trial, especially in a criminal case. For example, The accused stood in the dock through the entire proceeding. This expression employs dock in the sense of “an enclosed place for the defendant in a court of law,” a usage dating from the late 1500s, and is used even in American courts where no such enclosure exists.
QUIZ
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Question 1 of 9
Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
Words nearby in the dock
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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