noun, plural cor·po·ra de·lic·ti /ˈkɔr
pər
ə dɪˈlɪk
taɪ/ Show Spelled [kawr-per-uh di-lik-tahy] Show IPA . Law. 1.the basic element or fact of a crime, as, in murder, the death of the murdered person.
2.the
object, as the body of a murdered person, upon
which a crime has been committed and that serves as evidence proving that the crime was committed.
Origin:
1825–35; < Neo-Latin: literally, body of the offense