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culprit definition

cul·prit (kul′prit)

noun

  1. a person guilty of a crime or offense; offender
  2. Archaic a person accused of a crime, esp. by arraignment before a law court

Etymology: < Anglo-Fr cul. prit, contr. for phr. culpable, prit (a averer nostre bille), lit., guilty, ready (to prove our case): words used by prosecutor in opening case < culpable (see culpable) + prit, for OFr prest < LL praestus, ready

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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