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13 dictionary results for: Writ
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
writ
1 [rit]
–noun
| 1. | Law.
|
| 2. | something written; a writing: sacred writ. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
verb, wrote or (Archaic
) writ; writ⋅ten or (Archaic
) writ; writ⋅ing.
write
[rahyt]
verb, wrote or (Archaic
) writ; writ⋅ten or (Archaic
) writ; writ⋅ing. –verb (used with object)
–verb (used without object)
—Verb phrases
| 1. | to trace or form (characters, letters, words, etc.) on the surface of some material, as with a pen, pencil, or other instrument or means; inscribe: Write your name on the board. |
| 2. | to express or communicate in writing; give a written account of. |
| 3. | to fill in the blank spaces of (a printed form) with writing: to write a check. |
| 4. | to execute or produce by setting down words, figures, etc.: to write two copies of a letter. |
| 5. | to compose and produce in words or characters duly set down: to write a letter to a friend. |
| 6. | to produce as author or composer: to write a sonnet; to write a symphony. |
| 7. | to trace significant characters on, or mark or cover with writing. |
| 8. | to cause to be apparent or unmistakable: Honesty is written on his face. |
| 9. | Computers. to transfer (information, data, programs, etc.) from storage to secondary storage or an output medium. |
| 10. | Stock Exchange. to sell (options). |
| 11. | to underwrite. |
| 12. | to trace or form characters, words, etc., with a pen, pencil, or other instrument or means, or as a pen or the like does: He writes with a pen. |
| 13. | to write as a profession or occupation: She writes for the Daily Inquirer. |
| 14. | to express ideas in writing. |
| 15. | to write a letter or letters, or communicate by letter: Write if you get work. |
| 16. | to compose or work as a writer or author. |
| 17. | Computers. to write into a secondary storage device or output medium. |
| 18. | write down,
|
| 19. | write in,
|
| 20. | write off,
|
| 21. | write out,
|
| 22. | write up,
|
Origin:
bef. 900; ME writen, OE wrītan; c. OS wrītan to cut, write, G reissen to tear, draw, ON rīta to score, write
bef. 900; ME writen, OE wrītan; c. OS wrītan to cut, write, G reissen to tear, draw, ON rīta to score, write

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| writ 1
(rĭt) Pronunciation Key
n.
[Middle English, from Old English.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| writ 2
(rĭt) Pronunciation Key
v. A past tense and a past participle of write. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| write
(rīt) Pronunciation Key
v. wrote (rōt), writ·ten (rĭt'n) also writ (rĭt), writ·ing, writes v. tr.
write down
Idiom(s): write (one's) own ticket To set one's own terms or course of action entirely according to one's own needs or wishes: an open-ended and generous scholarship that lets recipients write their own ticket. Idiom(s): writ large Signified, expressed, or embodied in a greater or more prominent magnitude or degree: "The man was no more than the boy writ large" (George Eliot). [Middle English writen, from Old English wrītan.] Word History: Every western Indo-European language except English derives its verb for "to write" from Latin scrībere: écrire in French, escribir in Spanish, scrivere in Italian, scribaim in Old Irish, ysgrifennu in Welsh, skriva in Breton, skrifa in Old Norse, skrive in Danish and Norwegian, skriva in Swedish, schreiben in German, schrijven in Dutch. The Old English verb "to write" is wrītan, from a Germanic root *writ- that derives from an Indo-European root *wreid- meaning "to cut, scratch, tear, sketch an outline." German still retains this meaning in its cognate verb reissen, "to tear." Only Old English employed wrītan to refer to writing, that is, scratching on parchment with a pen. English shows a similar contrariness in its verb read, being almost the only western European language not to derive its verb for that concept from Latin legere. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
writ
writ
O.E. writ "something written, piece of writing," from the past participle stem of writan (see write). Used of legal documents or instruments since at least 1121.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| writ | |
noun | |
| (law) a legal document issued by a court or judicial officer |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Investopedia - Cite This Source - Share This
Writ
A formal document written by a judge or official requiring specific action.
Investopedia Commentary
For example, a writ of summons would be issued to a defendant informing them that they are required to appear before the court based on a plaintiff's decision to pursue legal action against them.
See also: Audit, Tax Court, Writ of Seizure and Sale
Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
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Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: writ
Pronunciation: 'rit
Function: noun
Etymology: Old English, something written
1 : a letter that was issued in the name of the English monarch from Anglo-Saxon times to declare his grants, wishes, and commands
2 : an order or mandatory process in writing issued in the name of the sovereign or of a court or judicial officer commanding the person to whom it is directed to perform or refrain from performing a specified act
NOTE: The writ was a vital official instrument in the old common law of England. A plaintiff commenced a suit at law by choosing the proper form of action and obtaining a writ appropriate to the remedy sought; its issuance forced the defendant to comply or to appear in court and defend. Writs were also in constant use for financial and political purposes of government. While the writ no longer governs civil pleading and has lost many of its applications, the extraordinary writs esp. of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, and certiorari indicate its historical importance as an instrument of judicial authority.
alias writ
: a writ issued upon the failure of a previous one
alternative writ
: a writ commanding one to perform a mandated act or else to show cause why the act need not be performed —compare PEREMPTORY WRIT in this entry
extraordinary writ
: a writ granted as an extraordinary remedy at the discretion of the court in its jurisdiction over officials or inferior tribunals called also prerogative writ —see also CERTIORARI, HABEAS CORPUS, MANDAMUS, PROCEDENDO, PROHIBITION, QUO WARRANTO —compare WRIT OF RIGHT 2 in this entry
NOTE: Extraordinary writs were originally writs exercised by royal prerogative.
judicial writ
: a writ issued by a court under its own seal for judicial purposes in the course of a proceeding or to enforce a judgment —compare ORIGINAL WRIT in this entry
original writ
: a writ formerly used in England that issued out of chancery as the means of bringing a suit and defendant before the court —compare JUDICIAL WRIT in this entry
NOTE: The original writ was superseded by the summons in 1873.
peremptory writ
: a writ (as of mandamus) that presents an absolute order without the alternative to show cause peremptory writ of prohibition> —compare ALTERNATIVE WRIT in this entry
pre·rog·a·tive writ
/pri-'rä-g&-tiv-/
: EXTRAORDINARY WRIT in this entry
writ of assistance
1 : a writ issued to a law officer (as a sheriff or marshal) for the enforcement of a court order or decree; especially : one used to enforce an order for the possession of lands
2 : a writ provided for under British rule in colonial America that authorized customs officers to search unspecified places for any smuggled goods
NOTE: Many colonial courts refused to issue writs of assistance, which were a focus of bitter resentment against arbitrary searches and seizures. Opposition to such writs inspired the provision in the U.S. Constitution requiring that a search warrant describe with particularity the place and items to be searched.
writ of coram nobis
: WRIT OF ERROR CORAM NOBIS in this entry
writ of error
: a common-law writ directing an inferior court to remit the record of an action to the reviewing court in order that an error of law may be corrected if it exists
NOTE: The writ of error has been largely abolished and superseded by the appeal.
writ of error coram nobis
: a writ calling the attention of the trial court to facts which do not appear on the record despite the exercise of reasonable diligence by the defendant and which if known and established at the time a judgment was rendered would have resulted in a different judgmentwrit of error coram nobis on the ground that newly discovered evidence exonerated him> called also coram nobis writ of coram nobis
writ of right
1 : a common-law writ formerly used to restore property held by another to its rightful owner
2 : a writ granted as a matter of right —compare EXTRAORDINARY WRIT in this entry
Main Entry: writ
Pronunciation: 'rit
Function: noun
Etymology: Old English, something written
1 : a letter that was issued in the name of the English monarch from Anglo-Saxon times to declare his grants, wishes, and commands
2 : an order or mandatory process in writing issued in the name of the sovereign or of a court or judicial officer commanding the person to whom it is directed to perform or refrain from performing a specified act
NOTE: The writ was a vital official instrument in the old common law of England. A plaintiff commenced a suit at law by choosing the proper form of action and obtaining a writ appropriate to the remedy sought; its issuance forced the defendant to comply or to appear in court and defend. Writs were also in constant use for financial and political purposes of government. While the writ no longer governs civil pleading and has lost many of its applications, the extraordinary writs esp. of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, and certiorari indicate its historical importance as an instrument of judicial authority.
alias writ
: a writ issued upon the failure of a previous one
alternative writ
: a writ commanding one to perform a mandated act or else to show cause why the act need not be performed —compare PEREMPTORY WRIT in this entry
extraordinary writ
: a writ granted as an extraordinary remedy at the discretion of the court in its jurisdiction over officials or inferior tribunals called also prerogative writ —see also CERTIORARI, HABEAS CORPUS, MANDAMUS, PROCEDENDO, PROHIBITION, QUO WARRANTO —compare WRIT OF RIGHT 2 in this entry
NOTE: Extraordinary writs were originally writs exercised by royal prerogative.
judicial writ
: a writ issued by a court under its own seal for judicial purposes in the course of a proceeding or to enforce a judgment —compare ORIGINAL WRIT in this entry
original writ
: a writ formerly used in England that issued out of chancery as the means of bringing a suit and defendant before the court —compare JUDICIAL WRIT in this entry
NOTE: The original writ was superseded by the summons in 1873.
peremptory writ
: a writ (as of mandamus) that presents an absolute order without the alternative to show cause peremptory writ of prohibition> —compare ALTERNATIVE WRIT in this entry
pre·rog·a·tive writ
/pri-'rä-g&-tiv-/
: EXTRAORDINARY WRIT in this entry
writ of assistance
1 : a writ issued to a law officer (as a sheriff or marshal) for the enforcement of a court order or decree; especially : one used to enforce an order for the possession of lands
2 : a writ provided for under British rule in colonial America that authorized customs officers to search unspecified places for any smuggled goods
NOTE: Many colonial courts refused to issue writs of assistance, which were a focus of bitter resentment against arbitrary searches and seizures. Opposition to such writs inspired the provision in the U.S. Constitution requiring that a search warrant describe with particularity the place and items to be searched.
writ of coram nobis
: WRIT OF ERROR CORAM NOBIS in this entry
writ of error
: a common-law writ directing an inferior court to remit the record of an action to the reviewing court in order that an error of law may be corrected if it exists
NOTE: The writ of error has been largely abolished and superseded by the appeal.
writ of error coram nobis
: a writ calling the attention of the trial court to facts which do not appear on the record despite the exercise of reasonable diligence by the defendant and which if known and established at the time a judgment was rendered would have resulted in a different judgment
writ of right
1 : a common-law writ formerly used to restore property held by another to its rightful owner
2 : a writ granted as a matter of right —compare EXTRAORDINARY WRIT in this entry
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Writ
Writ\, obs. 3d pers. sing. pres. of Write, for writeth. --Chaucer.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Writ
Writ\, archaic imp. & p. p. of Write. --Dryden.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Writ
Writ\, n. [AS. writ, gewrit. See Write.]1. That which is written; writing; scripture; -- applied especially to the Scriptures, or the books of the Old and New testaments; as, sacred writ. "Though in Holy Writ not named." --Milton. Then to his hands that writ he did betake, Which he disclosing read, thus as the paper spake. --Spenser. Babylon, so much spoken of in Holy Writ. --Knolles. 2. (Law) An instrument in writing, under seal, in an epistolary form, issued from the proper authority, commanding the performance or nonperformance of some act by the person to whom it is directed; as, a writ of entry, of error, of execution, of injunction, of mandamus, of return, of summons, and the like. Note: Writs are usually witnessed, or tested, in the name of the chief justice or principal judge of the court out of which they are issued; and those directed to a sheriff, or other ministerial officer, require him to return them on a day specified. In former English law and practice, writs in civil cases were either original or judicial; the former were issued out of the Court of Chancery, under the great seal, for the summoning of a defendant to appear, and were granted before the suit began and in order to begin the same; the latter were issued out of the court where the original was returned, after the suit was begun and during the pendency of it. Tomlins. Brande. Encyc. Brit. The term writ is supposed by Mr. Reeves to have been derived from the fact of these formul[ae] having always been expressed in writing, being, in this respect, distinguished from the other proceedings in the ancient action, which were conducted orally. Writ of account, Writ of capias, etc. See under Account, Capias, etc. Service of a writ. See under Service.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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