chance-medley

See also: chancemedley

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old French chance medlée, literally "mingled chance", with postpositive adjective (often confused because of the fact that medley is also a noun).

Noun

chance-medley (countable and uncountable, plural chance-medleys)

  1. (law, historical) The killing of another in self-defence upon a sudden and unpremeditated encounter.
    • 1618, Michael Dalton, chapter CXLVI, in The Country Justice, Savoy: Henry Lintot, published 1746, page 333:
      Manſlaughter, otherwiſe called Chancemedley, is when two do fight together upon the ſudden, and by meer Chance, without any Malice precedent, and one of them doth kill the other; this alſo is Felony of Death.
  2. (obsolete) Luck; chance; accident.
    • 1645, John Milton, Tetrachordon:
      This is true in the general right of marriage, but not in the chance-medley of every particular match.
    • 1784, William Cowper, Tirocinium; Or, A Review of Schools:
      Though much depends on what thy choice shall be, / Is all chance-medley, and unknown to me.

Synonyms

References

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