cross-examination

Noun

WordNet 3.0

Noun (1)

(law) close questioning of a hostile witness in a court of law to discredit or throw a new light on the testimony already provided in direct examination

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

cross-examination \cross"-ex*am`i*na"tion\ (kr?s"?gz-?m`?-n?"sh?n; 115), n. (Law) The interrogating or questioning of a witness by the party against whom he has been called and examined. See Examination. [1913 Webster]

2.[fig.] close or detailed questioning. [WordNet 1.5]

Examination \Ex*am`i*na"tion\, n. [L. examinatio: cf. F. examination.]

1.The act of examining, or state of being examined; a careful search, investigation, or inquiry; scrutiny by study or experiment. [1913 Webster]

2.A process prescribed or assigned for testing qualification; as, the examination of a student, or of a candidate for admission to the bar or the ministry. [1913 Webster]

He neglected the studies, . . . stood low at the examinations.— Macaulay.[1913 Webster]

Examination in chief, or Direct examination (Law), that examination which is made of a witness by a party calling him.

Cross-examination, that made by the opposite party.

Re["e]xamination, or Re-direct examination, (Law) that questioning of a witness at trial made by the party calling the witness, after, and upon matters arising out of, the cross-examination; also called informally re-direct.

Syn: Search; inquiry; investigation; research; scrutiny; inquisition; inspection; exploration. [1913 Webster]