Libel

lī′bel, n. a written accusation: any malicious defamatory publication or statement: ( law ) the statement of a plaintiff's grounds of complaint against a defendant.— v.t. to defame by a libel: to satirise unfairly: ( law ) to proceed against by producing a written complaint:— pr.p. lī′belling; pa.t. and pa.p. lī′belled. — ns. Lī′bellant , one who brings a libel; Lī′beller ; Lī′belling , defaming.— adj. Lī′bellous , containing a libel: defamatory.— adv. Lī′bellously . [L. libellus , dim. of liber , a book.]