(a) A session of a court charged with the deliberation and disposition of civil actions (esp. actions concerning land tenure and imprisonment); the deliberations of such a court (the gathering of evidence, the hearing of the plaintiff, the defendant and the witnesses before a jury, the rendering of decisions). [Such courts, instituted by Magna Charta (1215), were held periodically in each county of England by judges of the High Court of Justice, attended by a jury.] (b) bi assise, by action of a court of assize; don even ~, give a fair hearing or verdict; holden or taken ~, hold court or hearings; putten self upon ~, submit one's case to court; setten assises, establish courts; fre fro ~, exempt from jury service in a court of assize [last quot.]; (c) gret assise, a session or hearing of the court of assize attended by a jury of twelve; (d) justice of ~, a judge presiding over a court of assize.

A cause or suit at law concerning land tenure; ~ of novel disseisin, a suit brought to regain title to land entered by another; bringen, suen, taken ~, bring suit in a court of assize; loken ~, adjudicate cases of land tenure.

The rendering of a decision, judgment, opinion, or dictum; a decision, conviction, opinion, or dictum; even or right ~, fair judgment, fair-mindedness.

Theol. The court held by God at the end of the world to assess the merits and the transgressions of all of mankind and to pass judgment upon the souls; the Last Judgment; the last ~, the gret ~.

(a) An ordinance or decree regulating quality, weight, size, price, etc., of commodities (assissae venalium); also, a commodity subject to such an ordinance [quot. a1425]; ~ of bred, etc.; serjeaunt of ~, an officer administering such ordinances; don ~, administer such ordinances; (b) the right to make and enforce such regulations; (c) a law or law code regulating other matters; a regulation; ~ of the forest, forest law; rent of ~, fixed rent.

(a) The standard of quality, measure, weight, etc., as prescribed by law or custom; correct or proper measure or size, standard size; also, size [quot. c1410]; at on ~, of one and the same size; of ~, of just ~, of correct size or weight; out of ~, not conforming to the legal standard; above the ~, above the legal level; (b) fot of ~, standard foot.

Custom, practice, rule, tradition.

Manner, fashion, style; sort, kind, character; bi right ~, in a god ~, in proper or customary manner; in a mene ~, on a moderate scale, in a modest way, with moderation; of the best ~, of the best kind; in short ~, in abbreviated form, briefly.

A characteristic or distinctive feature; character.

Measure, moderation; bi ful ~, in full measure, profusely.

Proper place, order, or sequence; in right or god ~; setten in ~, to arrange or array, put in order.

Miscel. uses: (a) a type of chess-game [see H.J.R. Murray, A History of Chess 455]; (b) company, fellowship; (c) size (a glutenous substance); (d) the name of a horn-call sounded at the death of a stag which has been hunted with hounds ('a force').