Versus

Turned toward: against. Separates the name of a plaintiff from the name of the defendant. Abbreviated vs. and v.^ In New York, prior to 1848, when an action was brought by A against B, the declaration was entitled A, plaintiff, v. E, defendant. But the plea was entitled B, defendant, ads. (ad sectam) A. Generally, when a party was an actor in a proceeding, he placed his own name first. This explains why, in the earlier reports of that State, v. or ads. appears between the names of parties, and why, in the progress of a case from one court to another, the names themselves appeared reversed.* See under A, 8; Suit, 1.