turn queen's evidence

verb

Of a person accused of a crime, to give evidence against one's accomplices in the hope of receiving a lighter punishment. Used when the monarch is female.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbturn queen's evidence (third-person singular simple present turns queen's evidence, present participle turning queen's evidence, simple past and past participle turned queen's evidence)

present singular third person turns queen's evidence · participle present turning queen's evidence · participle past turned queen's evidence · past turned queen's evidence

  1. UKlawOf a person accused of a crime, to give evidence against one's accomplices in the hope of receiving a lighter punishment. Used when the monarch is female.
Cite this entry
APA

turn queen's evidence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20queen's%20evidence

MLA

“turn queen's evidence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20queen's%20evidence. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “turn queen's evidence,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20queen's%20evidence.

Source: turn queen's evidence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.