criminal, crim in all

& s. [O. Fr. crim inal; Lat. criminal is, from crimen (gen it.criminis) =a crime, a charge; Fr. criminel; Ital. criminale; Port. & Sp. criminal.] A. As adjective: I. Ordinary Language: 1187 rather than of good, we entitle them malefactors : when we consider them as offending by the gro er violations of the law, they are termed felons : when we consider them as already under the sentence of the law, we denominate them convicts .." (Crabb : Eng . Synon.) *(1) Criminal conversation : Law : An action for adultery committed with a married woman. The individual arraigned generally figures as co-respondent in a suit, the respondent to which is the erring wife, against whom the injured husband may petition for a divorce or for judicial separation. (2) Criminal information : Law: An action in a court of criminal jurisdiction, nominally at the instance of the people, without a previous indictment by a grand jury. It is of two kinds: (1) Ex - oficio , for misdemeanors and not for felonies, and (2) By an individual , with the per mi ion of the Court, for gro batteries, riots, immoralities, libel, . (3) Criminal jurisdiction: [JURISDICTION.] (4) Criminal law: Law : The law which defines what wrong acts are serious enough to be considered crimes, and indicates the penalty affixed by the legislature to each. 1. Of things: Of the nature of a crime; involving Formerly it was almost of Draconian severity, but a crime; contrary to duty, law, or right. IMG:content-1327.png:[blocks in formation] "The neglect of any of the relative duties renders us criminal in the sight of God."-Rogers. II. Law : Relating to crimes; opposed to civil (q. v.). "The discu ion and admeasurement of which (the general nature of crimes and their punishment), forms in every country the code of criminal law."- Black stone : Comm., bk. iv., ch. i. Crabb thus discriminates between criminal and guilty: " Criminal respects the character of the offense; quilty respects the fact of committing the offense. The criminality of a person is estimated by all the circumstances of his conduct which present themselves to observation; his guilt requires to be proved by evidence. The criminality is not a matter of question, but of judgment; the guilt is often doubtful, if not positively concealed. The higher the rank of a person, the greater his crim i nality if he does not observe an upright and irreproachable conduct: where a number of individuals are concerned in any unlawful proceeding, the difficulty of attaching the guilt to the real offender is greatly increased. Criminality attaches to the aider, abettor, or encourager; but guilt , in the strict sense, only to the perpetrator of what is bad. A person may therefore sometimes be criminal without being guilty . He who conceals the offenses of another may, under certain circumstances, be more criminal than the guilty person himself. On the other hand, we may be guilty without being criminal: the latter designates something positively bad, but the former is qualified by the object of the guilt . Those only are denominated criminal who offend seriously, either against public law or private morals; but a person may be said to be guilty , either of the greatest or the smaller offenses. He who contradicts another abruptly in conversation is guilty of a breach of politene , but he is not criminal. Criminal is moreover applied as an epithet to the thing done; guilty is mostly applied to the person doing "(Crabb: Eng. Synon.) B. As substantive: 1. One who is guilty of a crime; one who has committed some great offense against law, duty, or right; a malefactor, a culprit, a felon. "Suppose a civil magistrate should have a criminal brought before him, accused, for instance, of murder, burglary, the like, and the fact is proved, would not have him in that case to pronounce the sentence that the law has awarded to all such malefactors?"- Sharp, vol. vi., ser. 6. 2. One who is accused of crime. "Was ever criminal forbid to plead? Curb your ill-manner'd zeal." *3. ( Pl .): Criminal cases. Dryden: Spanish Friar. "By the civil law, albeit probation, especially in crim inals, cannot proceed unle the defender be present, yet the chief criminal doctors except the case of lese majesty."-Stair: Suppl. Dec., р. 159. Crabb thus discriminates between criminal, culprit , malefactor , felon , and convict : "When we wish to speak in general of those who by offenses against the laws or regulations of society have exposed themselves to punishment, we denominate them criminals : when we consider them as already brought before a tribunal, we call them culprits : when we consider them in regard to the moral turpitude of their character, as the promoters of evil upon the foundation of the republic special safe- guards were introduced into the Constitution against the enactment of unjust criminal laws with cruel penalties annexed. (5) Criminal letters : Scotland, nominally at the instance of the Crown, Scots Law: A form of criminal prosecution in corresponding to the first kind of criminal in form a- (6) Criminal prosecution: Law: The whole proceedings in a prosecution of One †crim-in-al-ist, s. [Eng. criminal; -ist.] versed in criminal law. ( Sprague .) crim-i-năl-i-ty, s. [Eng. criminal ; -ity.] The quality of being criminal or guilty; guilt. "He had almost as much as declared his conviction of xvi. her criminality last night."-C. Bronte. Jane Eyre, ch. crím-in-al-lý, adv . [Eng. criminal ; -ly.] Ina criminal or guilty manner; guiltily. then excuse our schism, or avert the criminal ne of it." - Hammond: Works, vol. ii., p. 181. crim'-in-âte, v . t . [Lat. crim in at us , pa. par. of crim in or to accuse; crimen a crime, a charge.] 1. To accuse of or charge with a crime. IMG:content-1328.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-1329.png:[ocr errors] crimper 2. Involving a heavy charge; heinous. "He perceived him to be more estranged than before time through the slaunders and criminous imputations which M. Lollivs, companion and govern our to the saide Caivs, had put into his head."- Holland : Suet on i us , p. 94. *crim-In-ous-lý, adv . [Eng. criminous; -ly.] In a criminal manner; guiltily, wickedly, criminally. "Some particular duties of piety and charity, which were most criminously omitted before."-Hammond. *crim-in-ous-ne , s. [Eng. criminous; -ne .] The quality of being criminous; criminality, guilt. "I could never be convinced of any such criminousne in him, as willingly to expose his life to the stroke of justice, and malice of his enemies."- King Charles . †crimp (1), a. [Connected with crumble, crumb, . (q. v.)] 1. Lit .: Friable, brittle, easily crushed or crumbled. "Now the fowler, warn'd By these good omens, with swift early steps, Treads the crimp earth, ranging through fields and glades." Philips . 2. Fig .: Not consistent; not forcible; weak. "The evidence is crimp ; the witne es swear backward and forward, and contradict themselves, and his tenants stick by him."-Arbuthnot: John Bull. †crimp (2), *crimpe, a . [A contr. of scrimp (q. v.), or perhaps a softened form of cramped .] Scarce, cramped. crimp, v. t. [An attenuated form of cramp (q. v.); cogn. with Dut. krimpen; Sw. krympa; Ger. krimpen to shrink.] I. Ordinary Language: 1. To curl or crimple. "To crimp the little frill that bordered his shirt-collar." -Dickens. 2. To pinch, to seize. 3. To decoy into any service or cause. "Coaxing and courting with intent to crimp him."Carlyle: Miscell., iii. 197. ( Davies .) II. Technically : 1. Cookery : (See extract.) "The operation of crimping fish consists in dividing the muscular fiber before it has become rigid, and immersing it in spring-water. A small part treated in this manner contracts and hardens within five minutes."Mayo: Physiol., p. 38. 2. Nautical : (1) To decoy into military or naval service. (2) To decoy into a low lodging-house. [CRIMP, (2), 8.] *crimp (1), s. [Etym. unknown.] A game at cards. "Laugh, and keep company, at gleek or crimp." B. Jonson: Magn. Lady. crimp (2), s. [CRIMP, v.] 1. Naut . & Mil .: One who decoys men into the mil IMG:content-1330.png:[blocks in formation] men well with drink, induces them to sign articles and ship as sailors. 2. One who keeps a low lodging-house, into which sailors and others are decoyed and then robbed. 3. A dealer in coals. ( Provincial .) "The brokers of these coals are called crimps."-De Foe: Tour through Great Britain , ii. 144. *crimp-sergeant, s. A sergeant who was sent forth to "crimp" or decoy young men into the army.