Dockets

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A list or register of items, such as documents or cases, that are to be addressed or processed in a legal context
2. A summary or note indicating the contents or details of a particular case or matter, typically used in a courtroom setting
3. An organized record detailing cases, appointments, or tasks requiring attention, often utilized by legal professionals

Etymology: "Dockets" is the plural of "docket," which in its court sense is a list of cases awaiting hearing. The noun's own origin is uncertain, though it is generally thought to be a diminutive of "dock," the word for the enclosure where a prisoner stood in court. The link is plausible, since a short slip or label was a natural kind of small thing to name after a larger one, but the chain of meaning from the prisoner's dock to a written list is not clearly documented. The earlier sense of "docket" was a short label or ticket, something attached to a parcel or package to show its contents, and that practical idea carried over into legal use. A docket in this sense was a brief summary written on a paper, and courts later used the term for an abstract of a judgment or a calendar of cases.

Synonyms: list, schedule, agenda