oyer and terminer

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈtɜːmɪnə/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(tûr′mə nər)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
o′yer and ter′mi•ner  (tûr′mə nər),USA pronunciation [Law.]
  1. Law(in some U.S. states) any of various higher criminal courts.
  2. British Terms, Law
    • a commission or writ directing the holding of a court to try offenses.
    • the court itself.
  • Anglo-French: literally, to hear and determine
  • late Middle English 1375–1425

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
oyer and terminer /ˈtɜːmɪnə/ n
  1. (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. the court in which such a hearing was held
Etymology: 15th Century: from Anglo-Norman, from oyer to hear + terminer to judge
'oyer and terminer' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
oyer

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