oyez

or o·yes

[oh-yes, oh-yez]

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.”

Origin of oyez

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for oyez

Historical Examples of oyez

On October 22, a proclamation is made in the Exchequer as follows: 'Oyez!
Nooks and Corners of Shropshire
H. Thornhill Timmins
Or oyez maintenant vne belle faon de verifier ses propheties.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. III: Acadia, 1611-1616
Various
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

British Dictionary definitions for oyez

oyez

oyes

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

Word Origin and History for oyez

interj.

early 15c., from Anglo-French oyez "hear ye!" (late 13c., Old French oiez), a cry uttered (usually thrice) to call attention, from Latin subjunctive audiatis, plural imperative of audire "to hear" (Anglo-French oier; see audience).