sb. [Med.L. ‘by what warrant.’] A King’s Bench writ formerly in use, by which a person or persons were called upon to show by what warrant he or they held, claimed or exercised an office or franchise.
[1292. Britton, I. xx. § 2. Nos brefs … del Quo warranto.]
1535. trans. Littleton’s Nat. Brev., 211 (Stanf.). A wryt de Quo warranto.
1555. in W. H. Turner, Select. Rec. Oxford, 224. To make answere to the Quo Warranto.
1621. Elsing, Debates Ho. Lords (1870), 5. He conceived noe charge against Yelverton for theis 3201 quo warrantos.
1681. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), I. 153. A writt of quo warranto is delivered to the sheriffs of London against the charter of the citty.
a. 1734. R. North, Life of Lord Keeper North (1742), 129. That famous Practice … of Quo Warranto’s against some Corporations.
1805. Jeffrey, in Edin. Rev., VI. 19. We would also move for a Quo Warranto against the spirits of the river and the mountain.
Hence † Quo warranto v., in pass., to be served with a writ of Quo warranto. Obs.
1690. J. Palmer, in Andros Tracts, I. 60. It can … render them liable to be questioned and Quo Warranto’d for their Malefesance.
1691. C. Mather, ibid. II. 331. Nor could you have proceeded again, as formerly, upon your charter, without being quo-warrantoed.
