writ1
n.
1. a. a sealed document, issued in the name of a court, government, sovereign, etc., directing an officer or official to do or refrain from doing some specified act.
b. (in early English law) any formal document in letter form, under seal, and in the sovereign’s name.
2. something written; a writing: sacred writ.
[before 900; Middle English, Old English, c. Old High German riz stroke, Old Norse rit writing, Gothic writs serif; akin to write]
writ2
v. Archaic.
a pt. and pp. of write
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