Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A court of chancery.
- noun The proceedings and practice of a court of chancery; equity.
- noun A court of public record; an office of archives.
- noun One of the five divisions of the High Court of Justice of Great Britain, presided over by the Lord High Chancellor.
- noun The office or department of a chancellor; a chancellery.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Originally, the office of a chancellor, notary, or secretary, where the records were kept and official documents were prepared, sealed, and despatched.
- noun In England, formerly, the highest court of justice next to Parliament, presided over by the lord chancellor, but since 1873 a division of the High Court of Justice
- noun In Scotland, an office in the general register-house at Edinburgh, in which are recorded charters, patents of dignities, gifts of office, remissions, legitimations, and all other writs appointed to pass the great or the quarter seal. Also
chancellery . - noun In the United States, a court of equity. See
equity . - noun In pugilism, the position of a boxer's head when it is under his adversary's arm, so that it may be held and pommeled severely, the victim meanwhile being unable to retaliate effectively: in the phrase in chancery.
- noun In an awkward predicament.
- noun See 5, above.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun In England, formerly, the highest court of judicature next to the Parliament, exercising jurisdiction at law, but chiefly in equity; but under the jurisdiction act of 1873 it became the chancery division of the High Court of Justice, and now exercises jurisdiction only in equity.
- noun In the Unites States, a court of equity; equity; proceeding in equity.
- noun See under
Inn . - noun (Boxing) to get the head of an antagonist under one's arm, so that one can pommel it with the other fist at will; hence, to have wholly in One's power. The allusion is to the condition of a person involved in the chancery court, where he was helpless, while the lawyers lived upon his estate.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun In England, formerly, the
highest court of judicature next to the Parliament, exercising jurisdiction at law, but chiefly inequity ; but under the jurisdiction act of 1873 it became the chancery division of the High Court of Justice, and now exercises jurisdiction only in equity. - noun In the United States, a
court of equity ;equity ; proceeding in equity. - noun The type of building that houses a diplomatic mission or embassy.
- noun The type of building that houses the offices and administration of a
diocese ; the offices of a diocese.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a court with jurisdiction in equity
- noun an office of archives for public or ecclesiastic records; a court of public records
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Interestingly enough, because of the abusive confessions I had been to, I called the chancery and asked if there was a good retired priest confessor living in the area.
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I called the chancery to see if a chalice had been stolen, and found it had.
Scandal Wills, Garry 2002
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I'm standing at the chancery, what's called the chancery, outside the grounds where what is often described as the palatial residence of Cardinal Law, Archbishop Law is.
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Bustling during the day, the chancery was a still place this night, silent but for the scratching of a single quill pen.
Chosen Of The Gods Pierson, Chris 2001
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But separate and distinct organizations called chancery courts, now exist in but a few states; the power to try suits in equity having been given to the judges of the common law courts.
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The chancery is a necessary element of administration in every diocese.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 4: Clandestinity-Diocesan Chancery 1840-1916 1913
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We may conclude from its effects, as well as its etymology, that a chancery is a court wherein the causes are decided by chance, and wherein the goddess Fortune, perfectly blind, presides.
Documenting the American South: The Southern Experience in 19-th Century America 1844
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Collins worked in the chancery, which is the office that manages the archdiocese's money.
NYDN Rss MELISSA GRACE 2012
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I always find it at last — but it comes too late. a blockhead who speaks boldly can baffle me. is not this of less consequence in chancery. fare well. let me hear from you. are you M.P.?
Letter 220 1797
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This pencil memorandum is very plain. [hh] It is worthy of special note also, that one of the owners of this volume, a Simon Holdip, writes on the last page of the "Lives of the Ten Emperors," the last in order of binding, "_per me Simone Holdip in te domine speravi_" in the old so-called chancery-hand, while on the first page of the Dedication of the "Familiar Epistles," the first in order of binding, he writes
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 08, No. 47, September, 1861 Various
chained_bear commented on the word chancery
"'... that still leaves a good deal of room for rum capers, such as getting your man's head in a chancery, as we call it—pinned under your left arm—and hammering away with the other fist till he can neither see nor stand...'"
--P. O'Brian, The Yellow Admiral, 54
March 19, 2008