Word: warrant Part of Speech: noun Etymology: The noun is derived from Middle English warant (“protector; guard, shield, protection”), from Anglo-Norman warrant, Old Northern French warant, warand, a variant of Old French guarant, garant, garand (“assurance, guarantee; authorization, permission; protector; protection, safety”) (modern French garant), from Frankish *warand, present participle of *warjan (“to fend off; to stop, thwart”). The word is cognate with Old High German werento (“guarantor”). The verb is derived from Middle English warrant, waranten (“to give protection; to protect, shield; to assure, pledge, promise; to guarantee”), from Anglo-Norman warantir, warandir, warentir, and Old Northern French warandir, warantir, variant forms of Old French guarantir (“to protect”) (modern French garantir), a Romance formation from the noun guarant: see above. Pronunciation: /ˈwɒɹənt/, /ˈwɔɹənt/, /ˈwɑɹənt/ 1. Authorization or certification; a sanction, as given by a superior. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Two years after the first appearance on the London stage by an English actress, a royal warrant of 1660 decreed that women rather than boys were to play all female roles. 2. Something that provides assurance or confirmation; a guarantee or proof. Labels: countable Example: a warrant of authenticity; a warrant for success Example: The brazen serpent, lifted up in the centre of Israel's camp, with the publick declaration of its use, was a sufficient warrant to every man, when bitten by a fiery serpent, to look unto it. But [...] if any looked without at all expecting a cure according to the word of the Lord, they must have perished; not for want of a warrant to believe; but because they did not submit to the wisdom and authority of God, or rely on his faithfulness and mercy, in this appointed way of preservation. 3. An order that serves as authorization; especially a voucher authorizing payment or receipt of money. Labels: countable Example: And also be in enactid by the auctorite aforseid that no manꝰ [man's] clerke or clerkes or other parsone or parsones do wryte or make any maner of wryting warraunt or warrauntes, upon any maner gyfte or graunte made by the Kynges Highnes or by any other his Gracys offycers as aforsaide, [...] Example: A Warraunt to Sir Edmond Peckham Knight, for twenty Pounds to be delivered to Fraunces Pitche, being ſent with Lettres to the Quene's Ambaſſador reſydent with the Frenche King. 4. An option, usually issued together with another security and with a term at issue greater than a year, to buy other securities of the issuer. Labels: countable Example: But they [police juries] have no power to [...] issue promissory notes or warrants to cover funds which may be set aside for this purpose in future taxation without express authority from the supreme political power of the state. Example: The first Eurobond offering was for Crédit National who issued $50m 13.75% five-year notes with six-month warrants to purchase the same principal amount of 13.75% ten-year bonds. The cum-warrant price of the note quickly rose to 105.5% in a rising market, yet the warrants alone were quoted at $15. 5. A judicial writ authorizing an officer to make a search, seizure, or arrest, or to execute a judgment. Labels: countable Example: an arrest warrant issued by the court Example: Mr. Musso said he desired to make an application at this stage on behalf of the accused, namely, that he be discharged on the ground that he was improperly held in custody, there being no warrant issued by the Court and no counter-signature to any warrant by the Senior-Consul. At the last hearing the fact was disclosed that the accused was arrested without a warrant. 6. Ellipsis of warrant officer. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis Example: [Dave T.] Daniels also stated that many supported the idea of an officers indoctrination course, with the aim of preparing warrants for broader responsibility. 7. Ellipsis of warrant officer. Labels: countable Example: Several days passed away, and at length down came an order for [Harry] Bartlett to go on shore and take up his warrant for a sloop of war that was then round at Plymouth, to which place he was to make all haste to join. […] "Well, my man," said Sir Joseph [Sydney Yorke], in his usual deliberative manner, "and so it has pleased the powers aloft to reward your deserts, and you are now a warrant officer." 8. A document certifying that a motor vehicle meets certain standards of mechanical soundness and safety; a warrant of fitness. Labels: New-Zealand, countable Example: Some years ago he had bought a motor vehicle with a warrant issued the same day only to find that the hand brake was not functioning properly and only one brake drum had any lining on it. He had recently heard of a similar case of a vehicle which had been issued with a warrant by the Christchurch City Council testing station, and the purchaser had to pay $60 to have the hand brake and hydraulic brake equipment fixed and the brakes relined. Example: She had inherited from Rufus a 1994 Nissan Vanette that routinely failed its warrant and was always breaking down; 9. A defender, a protector. Labels: countable, obsolete Example: And whanne I ſawe her makynge ſuche dole / I asked her who ſlewe her lorde ¶ Syre ſhe ſaid the falſest knyght of the world now lyuyng and he is the mooſt vylayne that euer man herd ſpeke of / and his name is ſir Breuſe ſaunce pyte / thenne for pyte I made the damoyſel to lepe on her palfroy / and I promyſed her to be her waraunt / and to helpe her to entyere her lord 10. Underclay in a coal mine. Labels: uncountable