oyer and terminer
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oy·er and ter·mi·ner
(oi′ər; tûr′mə-nər)n. Law
1. A court of general criminal jurisdiction in some states of the United States.
2.
a. A commission empowering a judge in Great Britain to hear and rule on a criminal case at the assizes.
b. The court in Great Britain where such a hearing is held.
[Middle English, partial translation of Anglo-Norman oyer et terminer, to hear and determine : oyer, to hear + terminer, to determine.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
oyer and terminer
(ˈtɜːmɪnə)n
1. (Law) 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
2. (Historical Terms) the court in which such a hearing was held
3. (Law) (in the US) a court exercising higher criminal jurisdiction
[C15: from Anglo-Norman, from oyer to hear + terminer to judge]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
o•yer and ter•mi•ner
(ˈoʊ yər ən ˈtɜr mə nər, ˈɔɪ ər)n.
1. (in some U.S. states) any of various higher criminal courts.
2.
a. a British commission or writ directing the holding of a court to try offenses.
b. the court itself.
[1375–1425; late Middle English < Anglo-French: literally, to hear and determine]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.