Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Law A lawsuit that falls under the jurisdiction of a federal court.
  • noun Informal A major issue that has evolved from a minor problem.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun idiomatic Any over-exaggerated ordeal.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

In the United States of America, courts with federal jurisdiction generally are for much more serious offenses than those whose cases are heard by local courts.

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