Main Entry: cer·tio·ra·ri

Pronunciation: \ˌsər-sh(ē-)ə-ˈrer-ē, -ˈrär-ē, -ˈra-rē\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Latin, literally, to be informed; from the use of the word in the writ

Date: 15th century

: a writ of superior court to call up the records of an inferior court or a body acting in a quasi-judicial capacity