以上术语均是指法庭上当事人对证人的诘问。一般说来, 当事双方在法庭上对宣誓证人的“诘问”（examination) [1]共有四次，双方各有两次机会。按规定是由提供证人的当事人或其代理人对代表己方证人首先诘问，此即为direct examination，译为“直诘”，也被称为“主诘” （examination-in-chief)  [2]。直诘的目的在于通过己方证人的证言使自己获得最大的优势[3] 。通常，重大问题是不准在直接询问中提出，除非证人被证实不友善。在此之后，为他方当事人或其代理人对该证人的询问， 即cross examination译为“盘诘”，盘诘的内容范畴一般在直诘内容范畴之内或有关证人的信誉事项，但法院也可自由裁量批准就重大问题向证人进行诘问[4]。此后又是提供证人的当事人或其代理人对己方证人的诘问，此第二次诘问即redirect examination, 译为“再次直诘”[5]。在此之后，是对方当事人或其代理人再次对该证人的诘问的机会，此次诘问为recross examination，译为“再次盘诘”[6]。在非正式情况，“直诘”、“盘诘”、“再直诘”以及“再盘诘”均可省略其中的examination而简称为 direct、cross、redirect 以及 recross[7] 。
        
[1] "Examination；the questioning of a witness under oath. ”Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 581，West Group (1999).
[2]“The first questioning of a witness in a trial or other proceeding, conducted by the party who called the witness to testify. " Id. at p. 472.
[3] Cf. Renstrom, p. G.，The American Law Dictionary, at p. 156, ABC-Clio (1998).
[4]“ In accordance with Rule 611 of the Federal Rules of Evidence，cross examination should only refer to matters that were covered during direct examination or that are relevant to the witness's credibility." Cf. Linda Picard Wood, J. D.，Merriam Webster's Dictionary of Law, at p. 116, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated (1996).
[5]“ Examination of a witness again after cross examination. ” Id. at p. 413.
[6]“A second cross-examination, after redirect examination. ”Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 1281，West Group (1999).
[7]“Informally, these stages are called direct, cross, redirect, and recross, without the word examination. " Cf. James E. Clapp, Random House Webster's Dictionary of the Law, at p. 168，Random House (2000).