(a) Something written; a document in writing, a written covenant, account, set of instructions, etc.; also, a source text for another written work; ?also, handwriting [quot. 1340]; ?error for writere [quot. a1398]; don (putten) in ~, setten on ~, to record (sth.) in writing; (b) a record of events kept in writing; also, a history; idon in (setten o, setten on) ~, to record (events, deeds, actions, etc.) in written form; have (one’s name) placed on a roll [quot. ?c1200, 1st]; lives (bokes) ~, the Book of Life kept in heaven, recording a person’s actions in life; (c) a missive, letter, or other written communication; an epistle, written tidings; ~ roune, a secret or encoded written message; mid ~ and mid word, both in writing and orally, by letter and by direct speech; (d) a written work intended for study, a treatise, tract; a literary work, book; (e) an inscription; also, an epitaph.

Law A written legal instrument compelling, authorizing, or forbidding some action, issued by a king, pope, high official, the Royal Chancery, a court, judicial body, parliament, corporate authority, etc.; also fig.

Law In names of various kinds of writs: (a) ~ allocate, a writ authorizing payment, as of a pension or an allowance; ~ of accounte, a writ issued to an officer of finance; ~ of achete, a writ authorizing the return of property to a feudal lord upon failure of heirs legally qualified to inherit; ~ of allouaunce, a writ confirming a privilege or right, a writ of authorization; ~ of appel, a document embodying a formal accusation brought in court; ~ of assise, ?a writ bringing suit in a court of assize or transferring litigation there from some other court; ~ of assise of novel disseisine, ~ of neue disseisine, a writ commanding the restoration of seized property; ~ of attachement, a writ of distraint; ~ of atteinte, a writ charging someone with a felony; ~ of attendaunce, a writ demanding attendance at an official function, a summons; ~ of capias, a writ authorizing or commanding the arrest of someone; ~ of capias ad satisfaciendum, a writ commanding the sheriff or coroner to take the person named into custody and keep him securely so that he may produce him in court on the day specified so as to satisfy the party who has recovered a judgment of him; ~ of certificat, ?a writ of certification as to something that has been done; ~ of constat, a certificate stating what appears on record; ~ of corpus cum causa, a writ issuing out of the Chancery to remove an action, where the defendant is sued and imprisoned, and transfer it and the prisoner to the King’s Bench for judgment; ~ of decies tantum, a writ issued to recover fines from a juror found guilty of receiving money for rendering a verdict and allowing the recovery of ten times the amount taken by the juror; ~ of (deliveri of) seisine, a writ directing the sheriff to put a person in legal possession of property; ~ of dette, ?a writ bringing suit for the recovery of a debt owed; ~ of diem clausit extremum, a writ issued upon the death of a tenant or a debtor to the king authorizing the determination of lands, goods, or money that may be recovered into the hands of the king; ~ of discharge, a writ of dispossession from an office; ~ of distresse, a writ authorizing or commanding the seizure of goods to obtain satisfaction for damages, debts, etc.; ~ of douerie, ~ of right of douerie, ?a writ or contract specifying dower rights; ~ of elegit, a writ of execution putting a creditor in possession of the goods and lands of a debtor until his claim is satisfied; ~ of entre, a writ bringing suit to recover the possession of lands from one who wrongfully withholds such possession; ~ of errour, a writ to procure a new trial or reversal of judgment on the grounds of error; ~ of exigend, a writ requiring a defendant to appear on pain of outlawry; ~ of fieri facias, a writ commanding the sheriff to execute a judgment by making up, out of the goods of the defendant, the sum for which the judgment was given; ~ (of) liberate, a warrant for payment of a pension, allowance, debt, or for delivery of lands or goods from a sheriff’s custody; (b) ~ of mittimus, a writ by which documents or records are transferred from one department to another; ~ of oyer and terminer, ?a writ establishing a commission appointed by the king to determine guilt and assess punishment or damages for various crimes committed under special circumstances; ~ of passage, a writ granting permission to cross or pass through a region, safe-conduct; ~ of ple of lond, a summons in a suit to restore rightful possession of land; ~ of pluries capias, a third writ of attachment, issued when the first and second prove ineffectual; ~ of premunire facias, a writ summoning someone to appear for contempt of the king’s jurisdiction; ~ of privilege, ?a writ to deliver a privileged person from custody; ~ of proclamation, ?an official copy of a proclamation, declaration, summons, etc.; ~ of quare impedit, a writ bringing action to recover a presentation when the patron’s right is disturbed; ~ of ravishement (de garde, ?a writ concerning an abduction (of a ward; ~ of replevin, ?a writ for the temporary restoration of confiscated property pending a court hearing, or for the restoration of privileges; ~ of repulsioun, a writ of divorce; ~ of right, a writ authorizing a grant of right; ~ (of) sub-pena, a writ compelling, under threat of punishment, the appearance of a party in a dispute before the court of chancery [see also sub-pena n. (a)]; ~ of supersedeas, a writ that stays or suspends the proceedings at law; ~ of supplicavit, a writ to keep the peace, often directed to reluctant justices of the peace; ~ of trespas, a suit seeking restitution for indirect damages.

(a) A writing held to have uniquely elevated status or significance for prophecy, confirmation of beliefs, revelation, or divination; (b) the Holy Scriptures, the Bible or any part of it; ~ of gospel; holi ~, q.v.