Judge Reggie Walton called an open hearing Thursday afternoon with prosecutors, the defense, and the jury to air concerns about a juror's request for a dictionary, saying any questions about wording have to come through him so they can get any intended legal connotations.

The word in question was not revealed in open court. Separately, he granted the jury's request for a 2 p.m. dismissal Friday, and said, "so I assume they will not have a verdict tomorrow either."

Defense attorney Ted Wells, before the hearing began, jokingly put his head on the table.

The jury had written a note to the judge Thursday afternoon, requesting to be out by 2 p.m. Friday" to attend to personal, professional and medical obligations that can't be addressed during our weekends."

Both the defense and the prosecution had word of the request before it was made public, and hallway chatter included a lighthearted tone of frustration.

The panel typically has lunch from about noon to 1 p.m., and the abbreviated day appeared to dim prospects of a verdict in the trial that began January 23.

Thursday was the seventh day of deliberations in the case that involves a five-count indictment against Libby, who resigned in 2005 as Cheney's chief of staff to fight the charges.

-- CNN's Paul Courson