oyez

or o·yes

[ oh-yes, oh-yez ]

/ ˈoʊ yɛs, ˈoʊ yɛz /

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interjection

hear! attend! (a cry uttered usually twice by a court officer to command silence and attention, as before court is in session, and formerly by public criers).

noun, plural oyesses.

a cry of “oyez.”

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of oyez

1375–1425; late Middle English <Anglo-French, plural imperative of oyer;see oyer

Words nearby oyez

Oyama, Oyashio Current, oyelet, oyer, oyer and terminer, oyez, oy gevalt, -oyl, Oyo, oyster, Oyster Bay

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use oyez in a sentence

I would not have an author make it his business to render me attentive: or that he should cry out fifty times Oyez!
The Essays of Montaigne, Complete|Michel de Montaigne
All it does is give evidence that your friend and partner will be on the job when the bailiff yells oyez, oyez, oyez.
The Cross-Cut|Courtney Ryley Cooper
I was very much surprised to hear a court of justice in Pennsylvania opened with the old French word oyez!
Society, Manners and Politics in the United States|Michael Chevalier
On October 22, a proclamation is made in the Exchequer as follows: 'Oyez!
Nooks and Corners of Shropshire|H. Thornhill Timmins

This is a corruption of the old Norman-French word oyez, “hear ye.”
English Villages|P. H. Ditchfield

British Dictionary definitions for oyez

oyez

oyes

/ (əʊˈjɛs, -ˈjɛz) /

interjection

a cry, usually uttered three times, by a public crier or court official for silence and attention before making a proclamation

noun

such a cry

Word Origin for oyez

C15: via Anglo-Norman from Old French oiez! hear!

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012