DIET

diet. 1. A regimen, esp. of food. 2. A governing body’s meeting day for legislative, political,

or religious purposes; specif., a national assembly of various European countries, such as the diet

of  the  German  empire,  which  was  summoned  by  the  emperor  regularly  to  perform  various

functions, including levying taxes, enacting laws, and declaring war. 3.Scots law. A day to perform

a duty, such as a court sitting day, an appearance day, and a criminal pleading or trial day. — Also

spelled dyet.

“In procedure on indictment there are two diets, the pleading diet, when the accused is called

to  plead,  and  the  trial  diet  when,  if  he  has  pled  not  guilty,  he  is  tried.”  David  M.  Walker,  The

Oxford Companion to Law 357 (1980). [Blacks Law 8th]