Ac*ces"sa*ry (277), n.; pl.
Accessaries (?). [Cf. Accessory and LL.
accessarius.] (Law) One who, not being present,
contributes as an assistant or instigator to the commission of an
offense.
Accessary before the fact (Law), one who
commands or counsels an offense, not being present at its commission.
-- Accessary after the fact, one who, after an
offense, assists or shelters the offender, not being present at the
commission of the offense.
☞ This word, as used in law, is spelt accessory by
Blackstone and many others; but in this sense is spelt accessary by
Bouvier, Burrill, Burns, Whishaw, Dane, and the Penny Cyclopedia; while in
other senses it is spelt accessory. In recent text-books on criminal
law the distinction is not preserved, the spelling being either
accessary or accessory.
Ac*ces"sa*ry (#; 277), a. Accompanying,
as a subordinate; additional; accessory; esp., uniting in, or contributing
to, a crime, but not as chief actor. See Accessory.
To both their deaths thou shalt be accessary.
Shak.
Amongst many secondary and accessary causes that
support monarchy, these are not of least reckoning.
Milton.