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The act of pleading for or supporting; work of advocating; intercession.

One who pleads the cause of another. Specifically: One who pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court; a counselor.

The act of advocating or pleading; plea; advocacy. [Archaic] The holy Jesus . . . sits in heaven in a perpetual advocation for us. Jer. Taylor.

A counter-statement of facts in a course of pleadings; a confutation of what the other party has alleged; a responsive declaration by a witness in reply to a question. In Equity, it is the usual form of defense to the complainant's charges in his bill. Bouvier.

To stand in presence of some authority, tribunal, or superior person, to answer a charge, plead a cause, or the like; to present one's self as a party or advocate before a court, or as a person to be tried. We must all appear before the judgment seat. * Cor. v. 10. One ruffian escaped because no prosecutor dared to app…

Counselor at law; a counsel admitted to plead at the bar, and undertake the public trial of causes, as distinguished from an attorney or solicitor. See Attorney. [Eng.]

To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten; as, to brief pleadings.

The end or close of a pleading, e.g., the formal ending of an indictment, "against the peace," etc.

nfession may be explained or rebutted. Wharton. Confession and avoidance (Law), a mode of pleading in which the party confesses the facts as stated by his adversary, but alleges some new matter by way of avoiding the legal effect claimed for them. Mozley & W. Confession of faith, a formulary containing the articles of…

To plead orally; to argue a matter in court; to recite a count. Burrill.

An advocate or professional pleader; one who counted for his client, that is, orally pleaded his cause. [Obs.] Burrill.

To counterplead. [Obs.] Chaucer.

th from; as, we can not depart from our rules; to depart from a title or defense in legal pleading. If the plan of the convention be found to depart from republican principles. Madison.

The desertion by a party to any pleading of the ground taken by him in his last antecedent pleading, and the adoption of another. Bouvier.

ults, or disabilities to perform what was covenanted. Milton. Chatham refused to see him, pleading his disability. Bancroft.

That technical interruption of the proceedings in pleading in an action, which follows where a defendant does not answer the whole of the plaintiff's declaration, and the plaintiff omits to take judgment for the part unanswered. Wharton's Law Dict. Burrill.

One who draws pleadings or other writings.

lt; fervent; hearty; -- used in a good sense; as, earnest prayers. An earnest advocate to plead for him. Shak.

Used in entreaty; pleading. [R.] "Entreative phrase." A. Brewer.

Controversial. [Archaic] A specimen of admirable special pleading in the court of eristic logic. Coleridge.