\Stat"ute\, n. [F. statut, LL. statutum, from L.
statutus, p. p. of statuere to set, station, ordain, fr.
status position, station, fr. stare, statum, to stand. See
{Stand}, and cf. {Constitute}, {Destitute}.]
1. An act of the legislature of a state or country,
   declaring, commanding, or prohibiting something; a
   positive law; the written will of the legislature
   expressed with all the requisite forms of legislation; --
   used in distinction fraom {common law}. See {Common law},
   under {Common}, a. --Bouvier.
Note: Statute is commonly applied to the acts of a
      legislative body consisting of representatives. In
      monarchies, legislature laws of the sovereign are
      called edicts, decrees, ordinances, rescripts, etc. In
      works on international law and in the Roman law, the
      term is used as embracing all laws imposed by competent
      authority. Statutes in this sense are divided into
      statutes real, statutes personal, and statutes mixed;
      statutes real applying to immovables; statutes personal
      to movables; and statutes mixed to both classes of
      property.
2. An act of a corporation or of its founder, intended as a
   permanent rule or law; as, the statutes of a university.
3. An assemblage of farming servants (held possibly by
   statute) for the purpose of being hired; -- called also
   {statute fair}. [Eng.] Cf. 3d {Mop}, 2. --Halliwell.
{Statute book}, a record of laws or legislative acts.
   --Blackstone.
{Statute cap}, a kind of woolen cap; -- so called because
   enjoined to be worn by a statute, dated in 1571, in behalf
   of the trade of cappers. [Obs.] --Halliwell.
{Statute fair}. See {Statute}, n., 3, above.
{Statute labor}, a definite amount of labor required for the
   public service in making roads, bridges, etc., as in
   certain English colonies.
{Statute merchant} (Eng. Law), a bond of record pursuant to
   the stat. 13 Edw. I., acknowledged in form prescribed, on
   which, if not paid at the day, an execution might be
   awarded against the body, lands, and goods of the debtor,
   and the obligee might hold the lands until out of the
   rents and profits of them the debt was satisfied; --
   called also a {pocket judgment}. It is now fallen into
   disuse. --Tomlins. --Bouvier.
{Statute mile}. See under {Mile}.
{Statute of limitations} (Law), a statute assigned a certain
   time, after which rights can not be enforced by action.
{Statute staple}, a bond of record acknowledged before the
   mayor of the staple, by virtue of which the creditor may,
   on nonpayment, forthwith have execution against the body,
   lands, and goods of the debtor, as in the statute
   merchant. It is now disused. --Blackstone.
Syn: Act; regulation; edict; decree. See {Law}.