juror
(ˈdʒʊərə(r))
Forms: 4–6 iurrour(e, 4–7 iurour, (4 ? ieror, 4–5 iuroure, -owre, 5 iorour, -owre, iorrour, 6 iourer, iewror), 6–7 iuror, (7 iurer, jurer), 7– juror.
[a. AF. jurour = OF. jureor (later jureur, 12th c.) = Pr. jurador, It. giuratore:—L. jurātōr-em, agent-n. from jūrāre to swear. The L. jūrātor and AF. jurour occur in Eng. records long before the vernacular word.]
1. One of a company of persons (orig. men) sworn to deliver a verdict on a matter officially referred to them; a member of a jury; a juryman or jury-woman.
The word has the same historical development as is seen in jury, but has now a wider range of application than juryman and jury-woman, being freely used historically of members of the ancient inquests out of which the jury system arose, as well as of members of a jury chosen to adjudicate between competitors, and award prizes, to whom ‘juryman’ is seldom applied.
| [1188 Glanvill ii. xvii, Aut bene notum est ius ipsum ipsis iuratoribus omnibus aut quidam sciunt..aut omnes ignorant. 1290 Rolls Parlt. I. 19/2 In cujus rei testimonium predicti Juratores Sigilla sua apposuerunt. Et dicunt..quod dampna illa se extendunt ad Viginti Libras. 1292 Britton i. i. §11 Et volums qe..nos Justices..ne pasent mie les pointz de nos brefs, ne des presentementz de jurours. Ibid. i. v. §8 Cum..les jurours soint venuz en court, si porunt il estre chalengez.] 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. vii. 44 Ac many a iustice an[d] iuroure wolde for Iohan do more. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 183 Ȝit iurrouris in questis wolen forsweren hem wittyngly for here dyner and a noble. ? c 1400 Lydg. æsop's Fab. iii. 133 Al suche raveyne..Beganne at false jurrours and at false witnesse. 1530–1 Act 22 Hen. VIII, c. 14 It shall be forthwith tried..by the same iurours of the same countie. 1579 Fulke Heskins Parl. 389 We haue excepted against many of the Iewrors. 1602 T. Fitzherbert Apol. 12 Our Iurers are not to Iudge de Iure, but de facto, not of matter of Lawes, or right it self, but of matter of fact only. 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, v. iii. 60, I shall both finde your Lordship, Iudge and Iuror, You are so mercifull. 1769 Blackstone Comm. IV. x. 140 The false verdict of jurors, whether occasioned by embracery or not, was antiently considered as criminal. 1821 J. Q. Adams in C. Davies Metr. Syst. iii. (1871) 126 The attorney-general..agreed to withdraw a juror and advised to leave the remedy to parliament. 1877 Ld. Cairns in Law Rep. 3 App. Cases 197 The judge has a certain duty to discharge, and the jurors have another and a different duty. |
b. With qualification, as grand juror, common or petty juror, special juror. (Cf. jury n. 2.)
| 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, ii. ii. 96 You are Grand Iurers, are ye? Wee'l iure ye ifaith. 1681 Lond. Gaz. No. 1667/3 The humble and joynt Addresse of..the Grand Jurors of Your Majesties County of Montgomery. 1809 Tomlins Law Dict. s.v. Jury i, The Jurors contained in the panel are either special or common Jurors. 1823 J. F. Cooper Pioneers xxxiii. (1869) 141/2 On his way to hear and to decide the disputes of his neighbours, as a petit juror. 1883 Wharton's Law Lex. (ed. 7) s.v. Jury, There is no remuneration for common jurors..Special jurors get a guinea a cause by s. 34 of 6 Geo. IV. c. 50. 1891 Law Times XCI. 205/2 The functions of a grand juror are too often those of the fifth wheel in the coach. |
† 2. (From the corrupt conduct formerly attributed to jurors.) One who brings false witness or a false presentment (against the innocent, or in favour of the guilty); a slanderer, backbiter; an oppressor; a covetous man. Obs.
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 63 Þei..hiren also iurrouris & oþere gentil men of contre to forswere hem wyttyngly on þe bok. c 1380 ― Sel. Wks. III. 394 If þer be any cursid jurour extorsioner or avoutrer, he wil not be schryven at his owne curat, bot go to a flatryng frere, þat wil asoyle hym falsely for a litel money by ȝeere. c 1440 Gesta Rom. ii. lii. 372 (Add. MS.) Bi the foxe are vndirstondyn vokettes..courteers, Iurrours, and wily men. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1570) 151 Sclaunderers, lyers, and iurours of the syse. 1538 Bale Johan Baptiste 85 in Harl. Misc. I. 104 The covetouse iourer shall now be lyberall. 1550 ― Image both Ch. (Rev. xiv. 18) Sodainly as a snare shall that terrible day light vpon them vnbewares, as did death on the couetous iourer. |
3. One of a body of persons appointed to award prizes in a competition.
| 1851 Illustr. Catal. Gt. Exhib. 34 If exhibitors accepted the office of jurors, they ceased to be competitors for prizes in the class to which they were appointed. |
4. One who takes or has taken an oath; one who swears allegiance to some body or cause. (Cf. non-juror.)
| c 1592 Marlowe Massacre Paris ii. vi, I am a juror in the holy league. 1623 Cockeram, Iuror, a swearer. c 1700 Ken in Anderdon Life xxiv. (1854) 691 [Frampton had] never interrupted communion with the jurors, [and would concur in anything which tended to peace]. 1881 Agnew Theol. Consol. 287 The Presbyterian ministers who were jurors, were regarded as lukewarm servants of their Church and country. |
b. A profane swearer. nonce-word.
| 1653 Urquhart Rabelais i. xvii, The Parisians..are by nature both good Jurers and good Jurists, and somewhat overweening. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 137 ¶3 (Were there no Crime in it) nothing could be more diverting than the Impertinence of the High Juror. |