Hilary term

Noun

Hilary term (plural Hilary terms)

1. The second term of the legal year, running from January to March or April, during which the upper courts of England and Wales, and Ireland, sit to hear cases.
   • In Hilary term, 1777, Howland and his co-truſtees, filed a bill againſt the preſent plaintiff Elizabeth, the teſtator's heir at law, and the perſons claiming under his will, for the directions and indemnity of the Court, in executing their truſt; […]1782, William Brown, “Thomas Brooks, D.D. and Elizabeth His Wife, Late Elizabeth Adams, Widow and Executrix of James Adams, Esq.; Deceased, Plaintiffs; Frances Reynolds, Widow, Defendant”, in Reports...
   • [Order] XIX. That whenever the time allowed for any of the following purposes, that is to say, for amending any bill, for filing, delivering, and referring exceptions to any answer, or for obtaining a Master's report upon any exceptions, would expire in the interval between the last seal after...1845, R. Levinge Swift, “Appendix. Lord Lyndhurst’s Orders of 3rd April, 1828, (Amended by Lord Brougham’s Orders, 23rd November, 1831.)”, in The Orders of the High Court of Chancery, from Hilary...
2. The second academic term of the universities of Oxford and Dublin, and other educational institutions, running from January to March; equivalent to Lent term at the University of Cambridge. The term was modelled after the legal term, but does not begin and end on the same dates.
   • There are four terms in the year, viz. […] 2. Hilary term, which begins on the 14th day of January, and ends the day before Palm Sunday.1813, “University Terms, and How Many are Required to be Kept for each Degree”, in The Oxford University Calendar, for the Year 1813, Oxford: Printed by Munday and Slatter, for J. Parker; and...