Then to his hands that writ he did betake, Which he
disclosing read, thus as the paper spake. --Spenser.
Babylon, so much spoken of in Holy Writ. --Knolles.
2. (Law) An instrument in writing, under seal, in an
epistolary form, issued from the proper authority,
commanding the performance or nonperformance of some act
by the person to whom it is directed; as, a writ of entry,
of error, of execution, of injunction, of mandamus, of
return, of summons, and the like.
Note: Writs are usually witnessed, or tested, in the name of
the chief justice or principal judge of the court out
of which they are issued; and those directed to a
sheriff, or other ministerial officer, require him to
return them on a day specified. In former English law
and practice, writs in civil cases were either original
or judicial; the former were issued out of the Court of
Chancery, under the great seal, for the summoning of a
defendant to appear, and were granted before the suit
began and in order to begin the same; the latter were
issued out of the court where the original was
returned, after the suit was begun and during the
pendency of it. Tomlins. Brande. Encyc. Brit. The term
writ is supposed by Mr. Reeves to have been derived
from the fact of these formul[ae] having always been
expressed in writing, being, in this respect,
distinguished from the other proceedings in the ancient
action, which were conducted orally.
{Writ of account}, {Writ of capias}, etc. See under
{Account}, {Capias}, etc.
{Service of a writ}. See under {Service}.
2. To set down for reading; to express in legible or
intelligible characters; to inscribe; as, to write a deed;
to write a bill of divorcement; hence, specifically, to
set down in an epistle; to communicate by letter.
Last night she enjoined me to write some lines to
one she loves. --Shak.
I chose to write the thing I durst not speak To her
I loved. --Prior.
3. Hence, to compose or produce, as an author.
I purpose to write the history of England from the
accession of King James the Second down to a time
within the memory of men still living. --Macaulay.
4. To impress durably; to imprint; to engrave; as, truth
written on the heart.
5. To make known by writing; to record; to prove by one's own
written testimony; -- often used reflexively.
He who writes himself by his own inscription is like
an ill painter, who, by writing on a shapeless
picture which he hath drawn, is fain to tell
passengers what shape it is, which else no man could
imagine. --Milton.
{To write to}, to communicate by a written document to.
{Written laws}, laws deriving their force from express
legislative enactment, as contradistinguished from
unwritten, or common, law. See the Note under {Law}, and
{Common law}, under {Common}, a.