Definition of coroner

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cor·o·ner    (kôr-nr, kr-) KEY 

NOUN:

A public officer whose primary function is to investigate by inquest any death thought to be of other than natural causes.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English, officer of the crown, from Anglo-Norman corouner, from coroune, crown, from Latin corna ; see crown

OTHER FORMS:
coro·ner·ship(Noun)

WORD HISTORY:
Coroner comes from Anglo-Norman corouner, a word derived from coroune, "crown." Corouner was the term used for the royal judicial officer who was called in Latin custos placitorum coronae, or "guardian of the crown's pleas." The person holding the office of coroner, a position dating from the 12th century, was charged with keeping local records of legal proceedings in which the crown had jurisdiction. He helped raise money for the crown by funneling the property of executed criminals into the king's treasury. The coroner also investigated any suspicious deaths among the Normans, who as the ruling class wanted to be sure that their deaths were not taken lightly. At one time in England all criminal proceedings were included in the coroner's responsibilities. Over the years these responsibilities decreased markedly, but coroners have continued to display morbid curiosity. In the United States, where there is no longer the crown, a coroner's main duty is the investigation of any sudden, violent, or unexpected death that may not have had a natural cause.