Defendant

The person defending or denying; the party against whom relief or recovery is sought in an action or suit. Jewett Car Ch v. Kirkpatrick Co.nst Co. (C. C.) 107 Fed. 622; Brower v. Nellis, 6 Ind. App. 323, 33 N. E. 672; Tyler v. State, 63 Vt. 300, 21 Atl. 611; Insurance Co. v. Alexandre (D. O.) 16 Fed. 281. In common usage, this term is applied to the party put upon his defense, or summoned to answer a charge or complaint, in any species of action, civil or criminal, at law or in equity. Strictly, however, it does not apply to the person agninst whom a real action is brought, for in that proceeding the technical usage is to call the parties respectively the "demandant" and the "tenant."

— Defendant in error. The distinctive term appropriate to the party agninst whom a writ of error is sued out.