oyer and terminer
[ tur-muh-ner ]
/ ˈtɜr mə nər /
noun Law.
(in some U.S. states) any of various higher criminal courts.
British.
- a commission or writ directing the holding of a court to try offenses.
- the court itself.
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Nearby words
oyama, oyama, iwao, oyashio current, oyelet, oyer, oyer and terminer, oyez, oyo, oyster, oyster bay, oyster bed
Origin of oyer and terminer
1375–1425; late Middle English < Anglo-French: literally, to hear and determine
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for oyer and terminer
oyer and terminer
/ (ˈtɜːmɪnə) /
noun
English law (formerly) a commission issued to judges to try cases on assize. It became obsolete with the abolition of assizes and the setting up of crown courts in 1972
the court in which such a hearing was held
(in the US) a court exercising higher criminal jurisdiction
Word Origin for oyer and terminer
C15: from Anglo-Norman, from oyer to hear + terminer to judge
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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