Mortmain

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Mortification \Mor`ti*fi*ca"tion\, n. [F., fr. L. mortificatio a
     killing. See {Mortify}.]
     1. The act of mortifying, or the condition of being
        mortified; especially:
        (a) (Med.) The death of one part of an animal body, while
            the rest continues to live; loss of vitality in some


            part of a living animal; gangrene. --Dunglison.
        (b) (Alchem. & Old Chem.) Destruction of active qualities;
            neutralization. [Obs.] --Bacon.
        (c) Subjection of the passions and appetites, by penance,
            abstinence, or painful severities inflicted on the
            body.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  The mortification of our lusts has something in
                  it that is troublesome, yet nothing that is
                  unreasonable.                     --Tillotson.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Deep humiliation or shame, from a loss of pride; painful
        embarassment, usually arising from exposure of a mistake;
        chagrin; vexation.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     3. That which mortifies; the cause of humiliation, chagrin,
        or vexation.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              It is one of the vexatious mortifications of a
              studious man to have his thoughts discovered by a
              tedious visit.                        --L'Estrange.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Scots Law) A gift to some charitable or religious
        institution; -- nearly synonymous with {mortmain}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: Chagrin; vexation; shame. See {Chagrin}.
          [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Mortmain \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.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The term was originally applied to conveyance of land
           made to ecclesiastical bodies; afterward to conveyance
           made to any corporate body. --Burrill.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  mortmain
       n 1: real property held inalienably (as by an ecclesiastical
            corporation) [syn: {dead hand}]
       2: the oppressive influence of past events of decisions [syn: {dead
          hand}, {dead hand of the past}]

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  MORTMAIN. An unlawful alienation of lands, or tenements to any corporation, 
  sole or aggregate, ecclesiastical or temporal. These purchases having been 
  chiefly made by religious houses, in consequence of which lands became 
  perpetually inherent in one dead hand, this has occasioned the general 
  appellation of mortmain to be applied to such alienations. 2 Bl. Com. 268; 
  Co. Litt. 2 b; Ersk. Inst. B. 2, t. 4, s. 10; Barr. on the Stat. 27, 97. 
       2. Mortmain is also employed to designate all prohibitory laws, which 
  limit, restrain, or annul gifts, grants, or devises of lands and other 
  corporeal hereditaments to charitable uses. 2 Story, Eq. Jur. Sec. 1137, 
  note 1. See Shelf. on Mortm. 2, 3.