witness
- {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun1 person who sees sthADJECTIVE▪ crucial (esp. BrE), key, material, vital (esp. BrE)▪
As the last person to see her alive, he was a material witness in the case.
▪ independent (esp. BrE)▪ credible, reliable▪ unreliable▪ silent (figurative)▪The ancient temples bear silent witness to the passing dynasties.
VERB + WITNESS▪ appeal for (esp. BrE)▪The police are appealing for witnesses.
▪ trace▪Police have so far failed to trace any witnesses to the attack.
WITNESS + VERB▪ come forward▪Two witnesses came forward with evidence.
▪ report▪Witnesses reported that the suspect was a white male.
WITNESS + NOUN▪ account, statement (esp. BrE)PREPOSITION▪ according to witness▪According to witnesses, the thief escaped through the bedroom window.
▪ witness to▪a witness to murder
2 in a court of lawADJECTIVE▪ chief, main, principal (esp. BrE), star (esp. AmE)▪the prosecution's chief witness
▪ potential▪ reluctant, unwilling▪ hostile▪ defence/defense, prosecution▪ federal, state, state's (all AmE)▪ expert▪ character▪ civilian, police (BrE)VERB + WITNESS▪ call, subpoena, summon (esp. BrE)▪The defence called their first witness.
▪ be called as, be subpoenaed as, be summoned as (esp. BrE)▪He was subpoenaed as a witness in a bankruptcy case.
▪ appear as▪She appeared as a character witness.
▪ swear in▪ cross-examine, examine, interrogate, interview, question▪ hear▪ discredit▪ intimidate, threaten▪A judicial investigation was ordered, but witnesses were threatened and none would testify.
▪ protectWITNESS + VERB▪ be sworn in, take the stand▪The next witness took the stand.
▪ give evidence, testify▪ state sth▪ identify sb▪She was the only witness to identify Peters as the attacker.
WITNESS + NOUN▪ box (BrE), stand (AmE)▪ summons (BrE)▪ testimony (esp. AmE)▪ intimidation (esp. BrE), tampering (esp. AmE)▪The jury convicted him on two counts of witness tampering.
▪ protection▪She went into a witness protection program. (AmE)
▪He was placed on a witness protection scheme. (BrE)
PHRASES▪ a witness for the defence/defense, a witness for the prosecution3 of a signatureVERB + WITNESS▪ act asWITNESS + VERB▪ signPREPOSITION▪ in front of witness▪the marriage contract is signed in front of witnesses
▪ witness to▪{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}Would you be willing to act as a witness to my signature when I sign my will?
verbWitness is used with these nouns as the object: ↑act, ↑beginning, ↑collapse, ↑crime, ↑death, ↑decline, ↑destruction, ↑display, ↑downturn, ↑emergence, ↑erosion, ↑escalation, ↑event, ↑execution, ↑explosion, ↑horror, ↑improvement, ↑incident, ↑miracle, ↑murder, ↑revival, ↑scene, ↑shift, ↑sight, ↑signature, ↑spectacle, ↑suffering, ↑tragedy, ↑transformation, ↑violence
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
Look at other dictionaries:
witness — wit·ness 1 n [Old English witnes knowledge, testimony, witness, from wit mind, sense, knowledge] 1 a: attestation of a fact or event in witness whereof the parties have executed this release b: evidence (as of the authenticity of a conveyance by… … Law dictionary
WITNESS — (Heb. עֵד, one that has personal knowledge of an event or a fact. The evidence of at least two witnesses was required for convicting the accused (Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15; cf. I Kings 21:10, 13). Commercial transactions of importance took… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Witness — Wit ness, n. [AS. witness, gewitnes, from witan to know. [root]133. See {Wit}, v. i.] [1913 Webster] 1. Attestation of a fact or an event; testimony. [1913 Webster] May we with . . . the witness of a good conscience, pursue him with any further… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Witness — • One who is present, bears testimony, furnishes evidence or proof Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Witness Witness † … Catholic encyclopedia
Witness (cd) — Witness (album) Pour les articles homonymes, voir Witness (homonymie). Witness Album par Witness Sortie 1994 Enregistrement 1994 … Wikipédia en Français
witness — [n] person who observes an event attestant, attestor, beholder, bystander, corroborator, deponent, eyewitness, gawker, looker on, observer, onlooker, proof, rubbernecker*, signatory, signer, spectator, testifier, testimony, viewer, watcher;… … New thesaurus
Witness — Wit ness, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Witnessed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Witnessing}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To see or know by personal presence; to have direct cognizance of. [1913 Webster] This is but a faint sketch of the incalculable calamities and horrors we … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
witness — [wit′nis] n. [ME witnesse < OE (ge)witnes, witness, knowledge, testimony < witan, to know: see WISE1 & NESS] 1. an attesting of a fact, statement, etc.; evidence; testimony 2. a person who saw, or can give a firsthand account of, something… … English World dictionary
witness to — ˈwitness to [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they witness to he/she/it witnesses to present participle witnessing to past tense witnessed to … Useful english dictionary
Witness — Wit ness, v. i. To bear testimony; to give evidence; to testify. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] The men of Belial witnessed against him. 1 Kings xxi. 13. [1913 Webster] The witnessing of the truth was then so generally attended with this event… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Witness — Título Único testigo (España) Testigo en peligro (Hispanoamérica) Ficha técnica Dirección Peter Weir Producción Edward S. Feldman … Wikipedia Español
