One hurdle prosecutors had to clear to secure a conviction of Bill Cosby was obvious from the start of his sexual assault trial. The credibility of the complainant, Andrea Constand, who had continued contact with him after the night she says she was drugged and assaulted, would be critical.

Less obvious was another point of contention that would entangle the jurors during their 52 hours of deliberations — the not-so-simple meaning of words.

What is meant, the jurors asked, by the term “unconscious” in the law against aggravated indecent assault? Did that mean she had to be out cold during an assault, or simply incapable of giving consent?

And when Judge Steven T. O’Neill said the panel might need to find Mr. Cosby’s behavior “reckless” to find him guilty, what exactly did he mean?