in law, one who confessing felony in himself appealeth or impeacheth another or more of his accomplices. He is so called from the French approuver, comprobar, because he must prove what he hath alleged in his appeal. This proof was anciently either by battle, or by the country, at the choice of the appellee: and the form of this accusation may be found in Crompt. Jus. 250.

APPROVERS of the king are those who have the letting of the king's demesnes in small manors, &c. In the statute of the 1st of Ed. III. c. 8. sheriffs are called the king's approvers.

It being in the discretion of the court to suffer one to be an approver, this method of late hath seldom been practised. But we have in cases of burglary and robbery on the highway, what seems to amount to the same by statute; it being ordained, that where persons charged with such crimes out of prison, discover two others concerned in the crime, they shall have a pardon, &c. Stat. 5th Anne, c. 31.