-də̇ˈlikˌtī, -k(ˌ)tē noun
( plural corpora delicti )
Etymology: New Latin, literally, body of the crime
1. : the substantial and fundamental fact or facts (as, in murder, actual death and its occurrence as a result of criminal agency) necessary to prove the commission of a crime
2. : the material substance (as the body of the victim of a murder) upon which a crime has been committed