Origin: 1300–50; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French embracier, equivalent to em-em-1 + bracier to embrace, derivative of brace the two arms; see brace
to attempt to influence (a judge or jury) through corrupt means.
Origin: 1400–1450; late Middle English: to influence, prejudice, bribe (a jury), perhaps the same word as embrace1, influenced by embrasen to set on fire (< Middle French embraser;see em-1, braise)
c.1300, from O.Fr. embracer "clasp in the arms, enclose," from en- "in" + brace "the arms," from L. bracchium (neut. pl. brachia). Replaced O.E. clyppan, also fæðm.