Lat. A term of logic, sometimes applied to pleadings and to arguments on appeal, which signifies a mistake of the question, that is, the mistake of one who, failing to discern the real ques-tion which he Is to meet and answer, ad-dresses his allegations or arguments to a collateral matter or somethlng beside the point. See Case upon tbe Statute for Dis-tribution, wythe (Va.) 309