trial by physical ordeal
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ordeal — [ôr dēl′, ôr′dēl΄] n. [ME ordal < OE, akin to Ger urteil, judgment < WGmc * uzdailjo , what is dealt out < * uzdailjan, to deal out, allot, adjudge < * uz , out + * dailjan < * dails, a part, share] 1. an ancient method of trial in … English World dictionary
ordeal — (n.) O.E. ordel, lit. judgment, verdict, from P.Gmc. noun *uzdailjam (Cf. O.S. urdeli, O.Fris. urdel, Du. oordeel, Ger. urteil judgment ), lit. that which is dealt out (by the gods), from *uzdailijan share out, related to O.E. adælan to deal out… … Etymology dictionary
ordeal — /awr deel , dee euhl, awr deel/, n. 1. any extremely severe or trying test, experience, or trial. 2. a primitive form of trial to determine guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused person to fire, poison, or other serious danger, the result… … Universalium
ordeal — The most ancient species of trial, in Saxon and old English law, being peculiarly distinguished by the appellation of judicium Dei, or judgment of God, it being supposed that supernatural intervention would rescue an innocent person from the… … Black's law dictionary
Trial (law) — In law, a trial is an event in which parties come together to a dispute present information (in the form of evidence) in a formal setting, usually a court, before a judge, jury, or other designated finder of fact, in order to achieve a resolution … Wikipedia
Trial — For other uses, see Trial (disambiguation). Mistrial redirects here. For other uses, see Mistrial (disambiguation). In law, a trial is when parties to a dispute come together to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a… … Wikipedia
Ordeal — A method of trial in which the accused was given a physical test (usually painful and/or dangerous) which could be met successfully only if they were innocent. Eg. Ordeal by fire. ♦ A form of proof in a court of law, by which a divine sign of… … Medieval glossary
ordeal — [OE] The ‘meting out of judgement’ is the etymological notion immediately underlying ordeal, but at a more primitive level still than that it denotes simply ‘distribution, giving out shares’. It comes ultimately from prehistoric Germanic… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
ordeal — [OE] The ‘meting out of judgement’ is the etymological notion immediately underlying ordeal, but at a more primitive level still than that it denotes simply ‘distribution, giving out shares’. It comes ultimately from prehistoric Germanic… … Word origins
ordeal — or•deal [[t]ɔrˈdil, ˈdi əl, ˈɔr dil[/t]] n. 1) any extremely severe or trying test, experience, or trial 2) a former method of trial used to determine guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused person to serious physical danger, the result… … From formal English to slang
fire — firer, n. /fuyeur/, n., v., fired, firing. n. 1. a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel or other material is ignited and combined with oxygen, giving off light, heat, and flame. 2. a burning mass of material, as on a hearth or… … Universalium
