nisi prius Hear it!

nisi prius definition

nisi· prius (prī′əs)

any of various courts in which a cause of action may be originally tried before a jury

Etymology: L, unless before: used orig. in a writ directing a sheriff to summon a jury to Westminster on a certain date “unless before” that date the trial had been held in his own county

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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