DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 War·rant n.
 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: --
 (a) A writing which authorizes a person to receive money or other thing.
 (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.
 (c) Mil. & Nav. An official certificate of appointment issued to an officer of lower rank than a commissioned officer.  See Warrant officer, below.
 2. That which vouches or insures for anything; guaranty; security.
    I give thee warrant of thy place.   --Shak.
    His worth is warrant for his welcome hither.   --Shak.
 3. That which attests or proves; a voucher.
 4. Right; legality; allowance.  [Obs.]
 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.

 Gen·er·al a.
 1. Relating to a genus or kind; pertaining to a whole class or order; as, a general law of animal or vegetable economy.
 2. Comprehending many species or individuals; not special or particular; including all particulars; as, a general inference or conclusion.
 3. Not restrained or limited to a precise import; not specific; vague; indefinite; lax in signification; as, a loose and general expression.
 4. Common to many, or the greatest number; widely spread; prevalent; extensive, though not universal; as, a general opinion; a general custom.
 This general applause and cheerful shout
 Argue your wisdom and your love to Richard.   --Shak.
 5. Having a relation to all; common to the whole; as, Adam, our general sire.
 6. As a whole; in gross; for the most part.
    His general behavior vain, ridiculous.   --Shak.
 7. Usual; common, on most occasions; as, his general habit or method.
 Note: ☞ The word general, annexed to a name of office, usually denotes chief or superior; as, attorney-general; adjutant general; commissary general; quartermaster general; vicar-general, etc.
 General agent Law, an agent whom a principal employs to transact all his business of a particular kind, or to act in his affairs generally.
 General assembly. See the Note under Assembly.
 General average, General Court. See under Average, Court.
 General court-martial Mil., the highest military and naval judicial tribunal.
 General dealer Com., a shopkeeper who deals in all articles in common use.
 General demurrer Law, a demurrer which objects to a pleading in general terms, as insufficient, without specifying the defects. --Abbott.
 General epistle, a canonical epistle.
 General guides Mil., two sergeants (called the right, and the left, general guide) posted opposite the right and left flanks of an infantry battalion, to preserve accuracy in marching. --Farrow.
 General hospitals Mil., hospitals established to receive sick and wounded sent from the field hospitals. --Farrow.  General issue Law, an issue made by a general plea, which traverses the whole declaration or indictment at once, without offering any special matter to evade it. --Bouvier. --Burrill.
 General lien Law, a right to detain a chattel, etc., until payment is made of any balance due on a general account.
 General officer Mil., any officer having a rank above that of colonel.
 General orders Mil., orders from headquarters published to the whole command.
 General practitioner, in the United States, one who practices medicine in all its branches without confining himself to any specialty; in England, one who practices both as physician and as surgeon.
 General ship, a ship not chartered or let to particular parties.
 General term Logic, a term which is the sign of a general conception or notion.
 General verdict Law, the ordinary comprehensive verdict in civil actions, “for the plaintiff” or “for the defendant”. --Burrill.
 General warrant Law, a warrant, now illegal, to apprehend suspected persons, without naming individuals.
 Syn: General, Common, Universal.
 Usage: Common denotes primarily that in which many share; and hence, that which is often met with. General is stronger, denoting that which pertains to a majority of the individuals which compose a genus, or whole. Universal, that which pertains to all without exception. To be able to read and write is so common an attainment in the United States, that we may pronounce it general, though by no means universal.