Link Centre Dictionary

escheat

esc·heat

UK/ɪsˈt͡ʃiːt/ uncommon obsolete

noun

1.

a reversion to the state (as the ultimate owner of property) in the absence of legal heirs

2.

the property that reverts to the state

Origin

From Middle English escheat, achete, eschete (“the reversion or conversion of property to the government”), from Anglo-Norman eschete and Old French eschet, escheit, escheoit (“that which falls to one”), past participle of escheoir (“to fall”) (modern French échoir), from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”). Doublet of cheat.

Phrases

  • bona vacantia

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.