Re-pris’al, n.

(re-priz’al), n. [Fr. représaille, Sp. represalia, It. ripresaglia, rappresaglia, O. Fr. reprehensaille, L. Lat. reprensaliæ, from Lat. reprehendere, reprehensum, from re, again, back, and prehendere, to lay hold of, to take.]

1. The act of reprising or retaking; especially, the act of taking from an enemy by way of retaliation or indemnity; recaption. “Debatable ground, on which incursions and reprisals continued to take place.” Macaulay.
2. That which is reprised or retaken; especially, that which is taken from an enemy by way of retaliation or indemnity.
3. The act of retorting on an enemy by inflicting suffering or death on a prisoner taken from him, in retaliation for an act of inhumanity. Vattel.

Letters of marque and reprisal. See LETTER and MARQUE.