Fornication

Fornication [fr. fornix, a brothel, Lat.], the inter-course of a man with a prostitute; the act of incontinency in single persons; if either party be married, it is adultery. During the Commonwealth, a second offence was made felony without benefit of clergy, Scobel, 121. After the Restoration the offence was left to be dealt with by the spiritual Court according to the rules of the canon law. Proceedings under the canon law for incontinency have fallen into desuetude, 4 Steph. Com. See PROSTITUTE.

Voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 664.