Arraign | v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Arraigned p. pr. & vb. n. Arraigning. ] [ OE. arainen, arenen, OF. aragnier, aranier, araisnier, F. arraisonner, fr. LL. arrationare to address to call before court; L. ad + ratio reason, reasoning, LL. cause, judgment. See Reason. ] 1. (Law) To call or set as a prisoner at the bar of a court to answer to the matter charged in an indictment or complaint. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. To call to account, or accuse, before the bar of reason, taste, or any other tribunal. [ 1913 Webster ] They will not arraign you for want of knowledge. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ] It is not arrogance, but timidity, of which the Christian body should now be arraigned by the world. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ] Syn. -- To accuse; impeach; charge; censure; criminate; indict; denounce. See Accuse. [ 1913 Webster ] |
Arraignment | n. [ Cf. OF. arraynement, aresnement. ] 1. (Law) The act of arraigning, or the state of being arraigned; the act of calling and setting a prisoner before a court to answer to an indictment or complaint. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. A calling to an account to faults; accusation. [ 1913 Webster ] In the sixth satire, which seems only an Arraignment of the whole sex, there is a latent admonition. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ] |