from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Warrant \War"rant\, n. [OE. warant, OF. warant a warrant, a
defender, protector, F. garant, originally a p. pr. pf German
origin, fr. OHG. wer[=e]n to grant, warrant, G. gew[aum]hren;
akin to OFries. wera. Cf. {Guarantee}.]
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1. That which warrants or authorizes; a commission giving
authority, or justifying the doing of anything; an act,
instrument, or obligation, by which one person authorizes
another to do something which he has not otherwise a right
to do; an act or instrument investing one with a right or
authority, and thus securing him from loss or damage;
commission; authority. Specifically:
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(a) A writing which authorizes a person to receive money
or other thing.
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(b) (Law) A precept issued by a magistrate authorizing an
officer to make an arrest, a seizure, or a search, or
do other acts incident to the administration of
justice.
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(c) (Mil. & Nav.) An official certificate of appointment
issued to an officer of lower rank than a commissioned
officer. See {Warrant officer}, below.
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2. That which vouches or insures for anything; guaranty;
security.
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I give thee warrant of thy place. --Shak.
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His worth is warrant for his welcome hither. --Shak.
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3. That which attests or proves; a voucher.
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4. Right; legality; allowance. [Obs.] --Shak.
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{Bench warrant}. (Law) See in the Vocabulary.
{Dock warrant} (Com.), a customhouse license or authority.
{General warrant}. (Law) See under {General}.
{Land warrant}. See under {Land}.
{Search warrant}. (Law) See under {Search}, n.
{Warrant of attorney} (Law), written authority given by one
person to another empowering him to transact business for
him; specifically, written authority given by a client to
his attorney to appear for him in court, and to suffer
judgment to pass against him by confession in favor of
some specified person. --Bouvier.
{Warrant officer}, a noncommissioned officer, as a sergeant,
corporal, bandmaster, etc., in the army, or a
quartermaster, gunner, boatswain, etc., in the navy.
{Warrant to sue and defend}.
(a) (O. Eng. Law) A special warrant from the crown,
authorizing a party to appoint an attorney to sue or
defend for him.
(b) A special authority given by a party to his attorney
to commence a suit, or to appear and defend a suit in
his behalf. This warrant is now disused. --Burrill.
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