Law. Obs. exc. Hist. [a. L. latitat, 3rd pers. sing. ind. pres. of latitāre to lie concealed.] A writ that supposed the defendant to lie concealed and that summoned him to answer in the King’s Bench.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, Annotare reos absentes, when the iudge ordeineth persons accused in their absence to be sought for: as to send out a latitat.
c. 1570. Pride & Lowl. (1841), 75. Then ryseth quarrell:… out gon sub penes, out flaien latitattes.
1620. Melton, Astrolog., 67. Writs, Latitats, and Procidendos.
1647. Ward, Simp. Cobler, 66. I desire him also to conceale himself as deeply as he can, if he cannot get a speciall pardon, to weare a Latitat about his neck.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. 236. There issues out a writ of latitat, to the sheriff of another county.
1796. J. Anstey, Pleader’s Guide (1803), 55. If haply John-a-Stile provoke The legal fight ’gainst John-a-Noke, The Latitat the foe besieges And baffles him in Banco Regis.
1843. Lever, J. Hinton, v. (1878), 32. You may laugh at a latitat,… and snap your fingers at any process-server.
1848. Stewart, Mem. A. Averell, xviii. 375. Having bailiffs serving him with latitats.
† b. transf. = LATITATION. Obs. rare–1.
1647. R. Stapylton, Juvenal, 248. In which his flight … he was a while in Latium, which took the name from his latitat.
