Meaning of MORTMAIN
| Pronunciation: | | 'mort`meyn
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 WordNet Dictionary |
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- [n] the oppressive influence of past events of decisions
- [n] real property held inalienably (as by an ecclesiastical corporation)
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| | Synonyms: | | dead hand, dead hand, dead hand of the past |
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| | See Also: | | influence, real estate, real property, realty | |
| Webster's 1913 Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | \Mort"main`\, n. [F. mort, morte, dead + main hand; F.
main-morte. See {Mortal}, and {Manual}.] (Law)
Possession of lands or tenements in, or conveyance to, dead
hands, or hands that cannot alienate.
Note: The term was originally applied to conveyance of land
made to ecclesiastical bodies; afterward to conveyance
made to any corporate body. --Burrill.
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