mainprise

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noun

A writ directed to the sheriff, commanding him to take sureties, called mainpernors, for the prisoner's appearance, and to let him go at large.

OriginMiddle English meynprise ← Anglo-Norman mainprise →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounmainprise (countable and uncountable, plural mainprises)

plural mainprises · alternative mainprize

  1. countablehistoricaluncountablelawA writ directed to the sheriff, commanding him to take sureties, called mainpernors, for the prisoner's appearance, and to let him go at large.
  2. countablehistoricaluncountablelawDeliverance of a prisoner on security for his appearance at a day.
verbmainprise (third-person singular simple present mainprises, present participle mainprising, simple past and past participle mainprised)

present singular third person mainprises · participle present mainprising · participle past mainprised · past mainprised · alternative mainprize

  1. transitivelawTo allow (a prisoner) to go at large, on his finding sureties, or mainpernors, for his appearance on a given day.

Origin

  1. Anglo-Normanmainprise
  2. Middle Englishmeynprise
  3. Englishmainprise

From Middle English meynprise, maynprise, from Anglo-Norman mainprise.

More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

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Cite this entry
APA

mainprise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mainprise

MLA

“mainprise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mainprise. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mainprise,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mainprise.

Source: mainprise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.