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suborn - 5 dictionary results

sub⋅orn

  [suh-bawrn]
Use suborn in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to bribe or induce (someone) unlawfully or secretly to perform some misdeed or to commit a crime.
2. Law.
a. to induce (a person, esp. a witness) to give false testimony.
b. to obtain (false testimony) from a witness.
Origin:
1525–35; < L subornāre to instigate secretly, orig., to supply, equiv. to sub- sub- + ornāre to equip; see adorn

Related forms:
sub⋅or⋅na⋅tion  [suhb-awr-ney-shuhn] , noun
sub⋅or⋅na⋅tive  [suh-bawr-nuh-tiv] , adjective
sub⋅orn⋅er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To suborn
sub·orn   (sə-bôrn')   
tr.v.   sub·orned, sub·orn·ing, sub·orns
  1. To induce (a person) to commit an unlawful or evil act.
  2. Law
    1. To induce (a person) to commit perjury.
    2. To procure (perjured testimony).

[Latin subōrnāre : sub-, secretly; see sub- + ōrnāre, to equip; see ar- in Indo-European roots.]
sub'or·na'tion (sŭb'ôr-nā'shən) n., sub·orn'er n.
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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Suborn

Sub*orn"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Suborned; p. pr. & vb. n. Suborning.] [F. suborner, L. subornare; sub under, secretly + ornare to furnish, provide, equip, adorn. See Ornament.]

1. (Law) To procure or cause to take a false oath amounting to perjury, such oath being actually taken. --Sir W. O. Russell.

2. To procure privately, or by collusion; to procure by indirect means; to incite secretly; to instigate.

Thou art suborned against his honor. --Shak.

Those who by despair suborn their death. --Dryden.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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suborn 
"to procure by bribery, to lure (someone) to commit a crime," 1528 (implied in subornation), from M.Fr. suborner (13c.), from L. subornare "suborn," originally "equip," from sub "under, secretly" + ornare "equip," related to ordo "order."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: sub·orn
Pronunciation: s&-'born
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Latin subornare, from sub- secretly + ornare to prepare, equip
1 : to induce or procure to commit an unlawful act and esp. perjury suborn a witness>
2 : to induce (perjury) or obtain (perjured testimony) from a witness suborning perjury and perjury, respectively —W. Railroad LaFave and J. H. Israel> —sub·orn·er noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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