assize

as·size

noun \ə-ˈsīz\

Definition of ASSIZE

1

a : a judicial inquest

b : an action to be decided by such an inquest, the writ for instituting it, or the verdict or finding rendered by the jury

2

a : the former periodical sessions of the superior courts in English counties for trial of civil and criminal cases —usually used in plural

b : the time or place of holding such a court, the court itself, or a session of it —usually used in plural

Origin of ASSIZE

Middle English assise, from Anglo-French, session, legal action, from asseer, asseoir to seat, from Vulgar Latin *assedēre, from Latin assidēre to sit beside, assist in the office of a judge, from ad- + sedēre to sit — more at sit

First Known Use: 14th century

Rhymes with ASSIZE

abscise, advise, apprise, apprize, arise, baptize, bite-size, breadthwise, capsize, chastise, clockwise, coastwise, cognize, comprise, crabwise, crack wise, crosswise, demise, despise, devise, disguise, disprize, door prize, downsize, earthrise, edgewise, emprise, endwise, excise, fanwise, franchise, full-size, grecize, high-rise, incise, king-size, leastwise, lengthwise, Levi's, life-size, likewise, low-rise, man-size, mid-rise, midsize, misprize, moonrise, nowise, outsize, piecewise, pint-size, premise, quantize, queen-size, remise, reprise, revise, rightsize, slantwise, streetwise, stylize, suffice, sunrise, surmise, surprise, trim size, twin-size, unwise, uprise

assize

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In law, a session, or sitting, of a court. It originally referred to a judicial inquest in which a panel of men conducted an investigation. It was later applied to special sessions of high courts in England and France. Assize courts were abolished in most countries in the 20th century, but in France they are still the courts of first instance in the handling of serious crimes.