mortmain
UK /ˈmɔːt.meɪn/ · US /ˈmɔɹt.meɪn/ noun
Forms mortmains
- noun (law) The perpetual, inalienable possession of lands by a corporation or non-personal entity such as a church.
- noun (literary) A strong and inalienable possession.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman mortmayn, morte meyn, from Old French mortes meins, after Late Latin phrase mortua manus. See Latin mortuus (“dead”) + manus (“hand”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun Possession of lands or tenements in, or conveyance to, dead hands, or hands that cannot alienate.
Etymology [F. mort, morte, dead + main hand; F. main- morte. See Mortal, and Manual.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “mortmain”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details