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oyer and terminer
[ tur-muh-ner ]
/ ˈtɜr mə nər /
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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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Origin of oyer and terminer
1375–1425; late Middle English <Anglo-French: literally, to hear and determine
Words nearby oyer and terminer
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use oyer and terminer in a sentence
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
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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