habeas corpus
/ˌheɪbiəs ˈkɔːrpəs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.83 in modern English
21
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
3
Syllables
10
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A writ ordering that a person be brought before a court or a judge, most frequently used to ensure that a person's imprisonment, detention, or commitment is legal.
verb
To apply the legal principle of habeas corpus to an individual or situation.
Informal; Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "While Trump has not explicitly mentioned habeas corpus in public, it’s what he was referencing last month when he commented on steps he could take to combat nationwide injunctions against his actions on deportations, according to one of the people familiar with the talks."
- "Hawley […] particularly desired, judging by his actions, to put polygamists out of existence, at the same time very mercifully habeas corpused all the prostitutes and their supporters[.]"
- "He saw that according to the fable typed on its lily white face one, John Grimaldi of Brooklyn, was summoned, advised, entreated, requested, ordered, corpus delictied, habeas corpused and generally invited to appear in said court[.]"
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌheɪbiəs ˈkɔːrpəs/
- British English: /ˌheɪbiəs ˈkɔːpəs/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Law.