a difficult case argued by the young barristers and students at the inns of court, by way of exercise, the better to qualify them for practice, and for defending the causes of their clients. This is called mootting, and forms the chief exercise of the inns of court. Particular times are appointed for the arguing of moot cases. The place where this exercise is performed was anciently called moot-hall; and there is a bailiff or surveyor of the moods, annually chosen by the bench, with power to appoint the moot men for the Inns of Chancery, and to keep an account of the performance of exercises. The word is formed either from the Saxon melan, gemetan, meeting, or from the French mot, a word.