The Collaborative International Dictionary
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["a]hren; akin to OFries. wera. Cf. Guarantee.]
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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:
A writing which authorizes a person to receive money or other thing.
(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.
(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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That which vouches or insures for anything; guaranty; security.
I give thee warrant of thy place.
--Shak.His worth is warrant for his welcome hither.
--Shak. That which attests or proves; a voucher.
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Right; legality; allowance. [Obs.] --Shak. 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.
(O. Eng. Law) A special warrant from the crown, authorizing a party to appoint an attorney to sue or defend for him.
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.
Bench warrant \Bench" war`rant\ (Law) A process issued by a presiding judge or by a court against a person guilty of some contempt, or indicted for some crime; -- so called in distinction from a justice's warrant.
Wiktionary
n. An arrest warrant issued by a court against a person guilty of some contempt or indicted for some crime, authorizing his or her arrest on sight.
WordNet
n. a warrant authorizing law enforcement officials to apprehend an offender and bring that person to court [syn: arrest warrant]
Usage examples of "bench warrant".
Penney suit jacket, was a bench warrant for Decker's arrest, which had been Federal Expressed that morning all the way from New Orleans.
A bench warrant under contempt proceedings has been issued and—.
Without a word, Custer displayed the embossed, signed, and notarized bench warrant he'd managed to get issued in close to record time.
Tea-sir,' Golding said, Veil, the prints the coroner sent down match a felon there's a bench warrant out on.
Prosecutor Dwayne Lovell had gotten a bench warrant issued and faxed to Boston and San Francisco, both cities having been Gilchrist's home at one time, then Corde added Gilchrist's name to the Criminal Warrants Outstanding Bulletin and Database for state and major city law enforcement agencies.
He thought a moment, then said, Have Schenley fix up a bench warrant for Landry—.