barratry
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English
Etymology
Early 15th century, in sense “sale of offices”, from Old French baraterie (“deceit, trickery”), from barat (“fraud, deceit, trickery”), of unknown origin, perhaps Celtic.[1] In marine sense of “unlawful acts causing loss to owner”, 1620s.[1]
Pronunciation
Noun
barratry (countable and uncountable, plural barratries)
- The act of persistently instigating lawsuits, often groundless ones.
- 1959 April 24, Walt Kelly, Pogo, comic strip, →ISBN, page 35:
- [Deacon Mushrat to Pogo:] The Machiavellian barratry of a pettifogging public has maundered into do-nothingism.
- The sale or purchase of religious or political positions of power.
- Coordinate term: simony
- (admiralty law) Unlawful or fraudulent acts by the crew of a vessel, harming the vessel's owner.
Related terms
Translations
persistant instigation of typically groundless lawsuits
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unlawful or fraudulent acts by the crew of a vessel, harming the vessel's owner
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See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “barratry”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.