Warrant to sue and defend

Warrant War"rant, n. [OE. warant, OF. warant a warrant, a defender, protector, F. garant, originally a p. pr. pf German origin, fr. OHG. wer[=e]n to grant, warrant, G. gew["a]hren; akin to OFries. wera. Cf. {Guarantee}.] [1913 Webster] 1. That which warrants or authorizes; a commission giving authority, or justifying the doing of anything; an act, instrument, or obligation, by which one person authorizes another to do something which he has not otherwise a right to do; an act or instrument investing one with a right or authority, and thus securing him from loss or damage; commission; authority. Specifically: [1913 Webster] (a) A writing which authorizes a person to receive money or other thing. [1913 Webster] (b) (Law) A precept issued by a magistrate authorizing an officer to make an arrest, a seizure, or a search, or do other acts incident to the administration of justice. [1913 Webster] (c) (Mil. & Nav.) An official certificate of appointment issued to an officer of lower rank than a commissioned officer. See {Warrant officer}, below. [1913 Webster]

2. That which vouches or insures for anything; guaranty; security. [1913 Webster]

I give thee warrant of thy place. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

His worth is warrant for his welcome hither. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. That which attests or proves; a voucher. [1913 Webster]

4. Right; legality; allowance. [Obs.] --Shak. [1913 Webster]

{Bench warrant}. (Law) See in the Vocabulary.

{Dock warrant} (Com.), a customhouse license or authority.

{General warrant}. (Law) See under {General}.

{Land warrant}. See under {Land}.

{Search warrant}. (Law) See under {Search}, n.

{Warrant of attorney} (Law), written authority given by one person to another empowering him to transact business for him; specifically, written authority given by a client to his attorney to appear for him in court, and to suffer judgment to pass against him by confession in favor of some specified person. --Bouvier.

{Warrant officer}, a noncommissioned officer, as a sergeant, corporal, bandmaster, etc., in the army, or a quartermaster, gunner, boatswain, etc., in the navy.

{Warrant to sue and defend}. (a) (O. Eng. Law) A special warrant from the crown, authorizing a party to appoint an attorney to sue or defend for him. (b) A special authority given by a party to his attorney to commence a suit, or to appear and defend a suit in his behalf. This warrant is now disused. --Burrill. [1913 Webster]