chance-medley
/tʃɑːnsˈmɛdli
/noun [mass noun] Law, rare
The accidental killing of a person in a fight.The murder of the constable was, if not properly accidental, at least rather in the nature of chance medley....
- In his case, on appeal, the Chief Justice for the first time ruled that the defence of chance medley that downsized murder to manslaughter could not be pleaded under British law.
- You say that James Annesley is Not Guilty of the felony and murder whereof he stands indicted, but is Guilty of chance-medley.
Origin
Late 15th century: from Anglo-Norman French chance medlee, literally 'mixed chance', from chance 'luck' + medlee, feminine past participle of medler 'to mix' (based on Latin miscere).
- preaching station
- preachment
- preach to the converted
- preachy
- pre-acknowledge
- pre-acknowledged
- pre-acquaint
- pre-acquaintance
- pre-acquainted
- sun bonnet
- sunbow
- sunburn
- sunburst
- Sun City
- sun cream
- sundae
- Sunda Islands
- sun dance
- Sundanese
- Sundarbans
- Sunday
- Sunday best
- Sunday book
- Sunday breaker
- Sunday business