barratry

bar·ra·try  (br-tr)

n. pl. bar·ra·tries

1. The offense of persistently instigating lawsuits, typically groundless ones.

2. An unlawful breach of duty on the part of a ship's master or crew resulting in injury to the ship's owner.

3. Sale or purchase of positions in church or state.

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[Middle English barratrie, the sale of church offices, from Old French baraterie, deception, malversation, from barater, to cheat; see barrator.]

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barra·trous (-trs) adj.

barra·trous·ly adv.

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barratry

Law. an act of fraud by a master or crew at the expense of the owners of a ship or the owners of its cargo. Also spelled barretry. — barratrous, adj.

See also: Ships

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the offense of frequently exciting or stirring up suits and quarrels between others. — barrator, n. — barratrous, adj.

See also: Law

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	barratry - traffic in ecclesiastical offices or preferments simony traffic - buying and selling; especially illicit trade
	2.	barratry - the crime of a judge whose judgment is influenced by bribery bribery, graft - the practice of offering something (usually money) in order to gain an illicit advantage
	3.	barratry - (maritime law) a fraudulent breach of duty by the master of a ship that injures the owner of the ship or its cargo; includes every breach of trust such as stealing or sinking or deserting the ship or embezzling the cargo fraud - intentional deception resulting in injury to another person admiralty law, marine law, maritime law - the branch of international law that deals with territorial and international waters or with shipping or with ocean fishery etc.
	4.	barratry - the offense of vexatiously persisting in inciting lawsuits and quarrels crime, criminal offence, criminal offense, law-breaking, offense, offence - (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act; "a long record of crimes" law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"