n. 1. The act or an instance of turning to or making use of a person or thing for aid or in an effort to achieve something: have recourse to the courts. 2. One that is turned to or made use of for aid or security: His only recourse was the police. 3. Law The right of a creditor to demand payment from an endorser or guarantor when the primary debtor fails to pay. [Middle English recours, from Old French, from Latin recursus, a running back, from past participle of recurrere, to run back : re-, re- + currere, to run; see kers- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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