Judge (jŭj), n. [OE.
juge, OF. & F. juge, fr. OF. jugier, F.
juger, to judge. See Judge, v.
i.]
1. (Law) A public officer who is
invested with authority to hear and determine litigated causes, and
to administer justice between parties in courts held for that
purpose.
The parts of a judge in hearing are four: to
direct the evidence; to moderate length, repetition, or impertinency
of speech; to recapitulate, select, and collate the material points
of that which hath been said; and to give the rule or
sentence.
Bacon.
2. One who has skill, knowledge, or
experience, sufficient to decide on the merits of a question, or on
the quality or value of anything; one who discerns properties or
relations with skill and readiness; a connoisseur; an expert; a
critic.
A man who is no judge of law may be a good
judge of poetry, or eloquence, or of the merits of a
painting.
Dryden.
3. A person appointed to decide in a trial of
skill, speed, etc., between two or more parties; an umpire; as, a
judge in a horse race.
4. (Jewish Hist.) One of the supreme
magistrates, with both civil and military powers, who governed Israel
for more than four hundred years.
5. pl. The title of the seventh book
of the Old Testament; the Book of Judges.
Judge Advocate (Mil. & Nav.), a
person appointed to act as prosecutor at a court-martial; he acts as
the representative of the government, as the responsible adviser of
the court, and also, to a certain extent, as counsel for the accused,
when he has no other counsel. -- Judge-Advocate
General, in the United States, the title of two
officers, one attached to the War Department and having the rank of
brigadier general, the other attached to the Navy Department and
having the rank of colonel of marines or captain in the navy. The
first is chief of the Bureau of Military Justice of the army, the
other performs a similar duty for the navy. In England, the
designation of a member of the ministry who is the legal adviser of
the secretary of state for war, and supreme judge of the proceedings
of courts-martial.
Syn. -- Judge, Umpire, Arbitrator,
Referee. A judge, in the legal sense, is a magistrate
appointed to determine questions of law. An umpire is a person
selected to decide between two or more who contend for a prize. An
arbitrator is one chosen to allot to two contestants their
portion of a claim, usually on grounds of equity and common sense. A
referee is one to whom a case is referred for final
adjustment. Arbitrations and references are sometimes
voluntary, sometimes appointed by a court.
Judge, v. t. 1. To
hear and determine by authority, as a case before a court, or a
controversy between two parties. "Chaos [shall] judge
the strife." Milton.
2. To examine and pass sentence on; to try;
to doom.
God shall judge the righteous and the
wicked.
Eccl. iii. 7.
To bring my whole cause 'fore his holiness,
And to be judged by him.
Shak.
3. To arrogate judicial authority over; to
sit in judgment upon; to be censorious toward.
Judge not, that ye be not
judged.
Matt. vii. 1.
4. To determine upon or deliberation; to
esteem; to think; to reckon.
If ye have judged me to be faithful to the
Lord.
Acts xvi. 15.
5. To exercise the functions of a magistrate
over; to govern. [Obs.]
Make us a king to judge us.
1
Sam. viii. 5.Judge, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Judged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Judging.] [OE. jugen, OF. jugier, F.
juger, L. judicare, fr. judex judge; jus
law or right + dicare to proclaim, pronounce, akin to
dicere to say. See Just, a., and
Diction, and cf. Judicial.]
1. To hear and determine, as in causes on
trial; to decide as a judge; to give judgment; to pass
sentence.
The Lord judge between thee and
me.
Gen. xvi. 5.
Father, who art judge
Of all things made, and judgest only right!
Milton.
2. To assume the right to pass judgment on
another; to sit in judgment or commendation; to criticise or pass
adverse judgment upon others. See Judge, v.
t., 3.
Forbear to judge, for we are sinners
all.
Shak.
3. To compare facts or ideas, and perceive
their relations and attributes, and thus distinguish truth from
falsehood; to determine; to discern; to distinguish; to form an
opinion about.
Judge not according to the
appearance.
John vii. 24.
She is wise if I can judge of her.
Shak.