wit‧ness 1 S2 W3 / wɪtnəs, wɪtnɪs / 名词
1 crime/accident [可数名词] someone who sees a crime or an accident and can describe what happened :
Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
witness to
One witness to the accident said the driver appeared to be drunk.
an eye witness (= someone who sees an event ) to the robbery → eyewitness
2 in a court of law [可数名词] someone who appears in a court of law to say what they know about a crime or other event → testify
key/star/principal witness
the key witness in the case against the brothers
The defence is expected to call them as witnesses .
witness for the prosecution/defence ( also prosecution/defence witness ) (= someone the prosecution or defence lawyers choose as a witness in order to help prove their case ) → expert witness
3 signing a document [可数名词] someone who is present when an official document is signed, and who signs it too, to say that they saw it being signed
witness to
a witness to a will
4 be witness to something formal to be present when something happens, and watch it happening :
We were witness to the worst excesses of the military.
5 christian belief [可数和不可数名词] American English a public statement of strong Christian belief, or someone who makes such a statement
→ bear witness at bear 1 ( 15 )
COLLOCATIONS
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + witness
a key witness (= a very important witness ) Rupert is expected to be a key witness at the trial.
a star witness (= an important witness who says things that help one side a lot ) The judge ruled that the state’s star witness had lied on the stand.
a principal witness (= a main witness ) The principal witness was too ill to testify.
an expert witness (= someone who has special knowledge, for example of medicine, and who talks about it in court ) The jury had to choose between the conflicting testimonies of expert witnesses.
a character witness (= a witness who says that the person being tried is a good person ) He said he would gladly be a character witness for her.
a prosecution witness During the trial, over thirty prosecution witnesses were called.
a defence witness A defence witness said that Carter was not holding a gun when the shot was fired.
短语
a witness for the prosecution/defence Witnesses for the prosecution have not sounded convincing.
动词
call a witness (= require a witness to speak in court ) She was the final witness to be called.
question a witness They were not permitted to question government witnesses.
cross-examine a witness (= ask them questions about what they have said ) His attorney cross-examined the witness.
appear as a witness He appeared as an expert witness at several government enquiries.
a witness testifies (= makes a statement ) We had two witnesses who testified that they had seen him hitting his wife.
a witness gives evidence Child witnesses gave evidence using closed circuit television cameras.
witness + NOUN
the witness box/stand (= where the witness sits when speaking in court ) He spent three hours in the witness stand.
the statement/testimony of a witness (= what a witness says ) The testimony of one witness led to his conviction.
THESAURUS
In a court
defendant the person who is on trial for a crime
the defence British English , the defense American English the lawyers who are working for the defendant
the prosecution the lawyers who are trying to prove that the defendant is guilty
judge the official in charge of a court who decides how criminals should be punished
jury a group of people, usually 12 people, who listen to the facts and decide whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty
witness someone who describes in a court of law what he or she knows about a crime
testimony a formal statement made in a court of law about a particular situation or action
verdict the decision of the jury as to whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty