The name of a writ constituting the initial process in an ac-tion brought hy a judgment defendant to obtain relief against the consequences of the judgment, on account of some matter of de-fense or discharge, arising since its rendi-tiou and which could not be taken advantage of otherwise. Foss v. witham, 9 Allen (Mass.) 572; Longworth v. .Screven, 2 Hill (S. C.) 298, 27 Am. Dec. 381; McLean v. Bindley, 114 Pa. 559, 8 Atl. 1; wetmore v. Law, 34 Barb. (N. Y.) 517; Manning v. Phillips, 65 Ga. 550; Coffin v. Ewer, 5 Metc. (Mass.) 228; Gleason v. Peck, 12 Vt. 56, 36 Am. Dec. 329
Source: Black's Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)