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Definition of Star Chamber

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Star Chamber  audio  (stär) KEY  

NOUN:
  1. A 15th-century to 17th-century English court consisting of judges who were appointed by the Crown and sat in closed session on cases involving state security.
  2. star chamber A court or group that engages in secret, harsh, or arbitrary procedures.
ETYMOLOGY:
So called because the ceiling of the original courtroom was decorated with stars


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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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