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Coroner

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cor⋅o⋅ner

[kawr-uh-ner, kor-]
–noun
an officer, as of a county or municipality, whose chief function is to investigate by inquest, as before a jury, any death not clearly resulting from natural causes.

Origin:
1225–75; ME < AF corouner supervisor of the Crown's pleas, equiv. to coroune crown + -er -er 2


cor⋅o⋅ner⋅ship, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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cor·o·ner   (kôr'ə-nər, kŏr'-)   
n.  A public officer whose primary function is to investigate by inquest any death thought to be of other than natural causes.

[Middle English, officer of the crown, from Anglo-Norman corouner, from coroune, crown, from Latin corōna; see crown.]
cor'o·ner·ship' n.
Word History: Coroner comes from Anglo-Norman corouner, a word derived from coroune, "crown." Corouner was the term used for the royal judicial officer who was called in Latin custos placitorum coronae, or "guardian of the crown's pleas." The person holding the office of coroner, a position dating from the 12th century, was charged with keeping local records of legal proceedings in which the crown had jurisdiction. He helped raise money for the crown by funneling the property of executed criminals into the king's treasury. The coroner also investigated any suspicious deaths among the Normans, who as the ruling class wanted to be sure that their deaths were not taken lightly. At one time in England all criminal proceedings were included in the coroner's responsibilities. Over the years these responsibilities decreased markedly, but coroners have continued to display morbid curiosity. In the United States, where there is no longer the crown, a coroner's main duty is the investigation of any sudden, violent, or unexpected death that may not have had a natural cause.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

coroner 
1194, from Anglo-Fr. curuner, from L. custos placitorum coronæ, originally officer with the duty of protecting the property of the royal family, from L. corona "crown." Present duties established by 17c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: cor·o·ner
Pronunciation: 'kor-&-n&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Anglo-French, recorder of crown pleas, from corone crown
: a public officer whose principal duty is to inquire by an inquest into the cause of death when there is reason to think the death may not be due to natural causes
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: cor·o·ner
Pronunciation: 'kor-&-n&r, 'kär-
Function: noun
: a public officer whose principal duty is to inquire by aninquest into the cause of any death which there is reason to suppose is not due to natural causes
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

coroner cor·o·ner (kôr'ə-nər)
n.
A public officer whose primary function is to investigate by inquest any death thought to be of other than natural causes.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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