Foreperson

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual who leads a jury in their discussions and deliberations while ensuring that meetings are organized and productive
2. The member chosen to guide a jury's conversation and verdict process
3. A person appointed to coordinate jury activities and communicate decisions

Etymology: "Foreperson" is a compound built from two parts with very different histories. The first, "fore-", is an old English element meaning "front" or "first in position," and it has been part of the language since Old English. The second, "person," came into English from Anglo-Norman "persoune," which descends from Latin "persona," a word originally used for a theatrical mask and later for an individual human being. Put together, "foreperson" simply means the person who stands at the front, which suits a role that leads a group of twelve strangers through deliberation and speaks for them at the end. The compound follows the same pattern as older words such as "forearm" and "forehead," where "fore-" marks the front part of something. The word itself is a modern formation, and the source does not give a date for when it first appeared, so its exact age in English is unclear. What is clear is that the parts are ancient, and the combination reflects the ordinary English practice of joining a native prefix to a borrowed noun.

Synonyms: supervisor, manager, team leader, overseer, director