\Char"ter\, n. [OF. chartre, F. chartre, charte, fr. L.
chartula a little paper, dim. of charta. See {Chart},
{Card}.]
1. A written evidence in due form of things done or granted,
   contracts made, etc., between man and man; a deed, or
   conveyance. [Archaic]
2. An instrument in writing, from the sovereign power of a
   state or country, executed in due form, bestowing rights,
   franchises, or privileges.
         The king [John, a.d. 1215], with a facility somewhat
         suspicious, signed and sealed the charter which was
         required of him. This famous deed, commonly called
         the ``Great Charter,'' either granted or secured
         very important liberties and privileges to every
         order of men in the kingdom.          --Hume.
3. An act of a legislative body creating a municipal or other
   corporation and defining its powers and privileges. Also,
   an instrument in writing from the constituted authorities
   of an order or society (as the Freemasons), creating a
   lodge and defining its powers.
4. A special privilege, immunity, or exemption.
         My mother, Who has a charter to extol her blood,
         When she does praise me, grieves me.  --Shak.
5. (Com.) The letting or hiring a vessel by special contract,
   or the contract or instrument whereby a vessel is hired or
   let; as, a ship is offered for sale or charter. See
   {Charter party}, below.
{Charter land} (O. Eng. Law), land held by charter, or in
   socage; bookland.
{Charter member}, one of the original members of a society or
   corporation, esp. one named in a charter, or taking part
   in the first proceedings under it.
{Charter party} [F. chartre partie, or charte partie, a
   divided charter; from the practice of cutting the
   instrument of contract in two, and giving one part to each
   of the contractors] (Com.), a mercantile lease of a
   vessel; a specific contract by which the owners of a
   vessel let the entire vessel, or some principal part of
   the vessel, to another person, to be used by the latter in
   transportation for his own account, either under their
   charge or his.
{People's Charter} (Eng. Hist.), the document which embodied
   the demands made by the Chartists, so called, upon the
   English government in 1838.

\Char"ter\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Chartered}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Chartering}.]
1. To establish by charter.
2. To hire or let by charter, as a ship. See {Charter party},
   under {Charter}, n.