tales

noun plural

ta·​les
ˈtā-ˌlēz
often attributive
: persons added to a jury from among those available in or about the courthouse or in the county to make up a deficiency in the number of jurors regularly summoned
a tales juror

Word History

Etymology

from the Medieval Latin phrase tales de circumstantibus such (persons) of the bystanders; from the use of the phrase in the writ summoning them

Dictionary Entries Near tales

Cite this Entry

“Tales.” Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/tales. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on tales

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!