from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Inquest \In"quest\, n. [OE. enqueste, OF. enqueste, F.
enqu[^e]te, LL. inquesta, for inquisita, fr. L. inquisitus,
p. p. of inquirere. See {Inquire}.]
1. Inquiry; quest; search. [R.] --Spenser.
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The laborious and vexatious inquest that the soul
must make after science. --South.
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2. (Law)
(a) Judicial inquiry; official examination, esp. before a
jury; as, a coroner's inquest in case of a sudden
death.
(b) A body of men assembled under authority of law to
inquire into any matter, civil or criminal,
particularly any case of violent or sudden death; a
jury, particularly a coroner's jury. The grand jury is
sometimes called the grand inquest. See under {Grand}.
(c) The finding of the jury upon such inquiry.
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{Coroner's inquest}, an inquest held by a coroner to
determine the cause of any violent, sudden, or mysterious
death. See {Coroner}.
{Inquest of office}, an inquiry made, by authority or
direction of proper officer, into matters affecting the
rights and interests of the crown or of the state.
--Craig. Bouvier.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Coroner \Cor"o*ner\ (k?r"?-n?r), n. [From OE. coronen to crown,
OF. coroner, fr. L. coronare, fr. corona crown. Formed as a
translation of LL. coronator coroner, fr. L. corona crown,
the coroner having been originally a prosecuting officer of
the crown. See {Crown}.]
An officer of the peace whose principal duty is to inquire,
with the help of a jury, into the cause of any violent,
sudden or mysterious death, or death in prison, usually on
sight of the body and at the place where the death occurred.
[In England formerly also written and pronounced {crowner}.]
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Note: In some of the United States the office of coroner is
abolished, that of medical examiner taking its place.
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{Coroner's inquest}. See under {Inquest}.
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