talesman

noun

tales·​man ˈtālz-mən  ˈtā-lēz- 

1

: a person added to a jury usually from among bystanders to make up a deficiency in the available number of jurors

2

: a member of a large pool of persons called for jury duty from which jurors are selected

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tales talesmen, from Medieval Latin tales de circumstantibus such (persons) of the bystanders; from the wording of the writ summoning them

First Known Use

1679, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

talesman

noun

tales·​man ˈtālz-mən, ˈtā-lēz- 

plural talesmen

-mən

: a person summoned as one of the tales added to a jury