Mortmain definition

Mortmain means “dead hand” in the Anglo-Norman variant of French spoken in England during the Late Middle Ages. The most widely accepted explanation of the term’s invention and application is that given by Lord Coke:

Examples of Mortmain in a sentence

  • The King invoked the Law of Mortmain, the dead man’s hand, so people couldn’t pass their land on to the church or anyone else without the King’s permission, (modern day probate?).

  • To try and prevent this the King invoked the Law of Mortmain, 'the dead man's hand', so people couldn't pass their land on to the church or anyone else without the King's permission.

Related to Mortmain

  • Sailboat means the same as that term is defined in Section 73-18-2.

  • Playground means a public outdoor recreation area for children, usually equipped with swings, slides, and other playground equipment, owned and/or managed by a city, county, state, or federal government.

  • Façade means the principal front or fronts of a building.

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  • Seaplane means a fixed wing aircraft which is designed for taking off and landing on water and includes amphibians operated as seaplanes;