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mortmain

   Also found in: Legal, Financial, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
mort·main  (môrtmn)
n.
1. Law Perpetual ownership of real estate by institutions such as churches that cannot transfer or sell it.
2. The often oppressive influence of the past on the present.

[Middle English mortemayne, from Old French mortemain : morte, feminine of mort, dead; see mortgage + main, hand (from Latin manus; see man-2 in Indo-European roots).]

mortmain [ˈmɔːtˌmeɪn]
n
(Law) Law the state or condition of lands, buildings, etc., held inalienably, as by an ecclesiastical or other corporation
[from Old French mortemain, from Medieval Latin mortua manus dead hand, inalienable ownership]

mortmain
transfer or ownership of real property in perpetuity, as transfer to or ownership by a corporate body like a school, college, or church.
See also: Property and Ownership
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.mortmain - real property held inalienably (as by an ecclesiastical corporation)
corp, corporation - a business firm whose articles of incorporation have been approved in some state
immovable, real estate, real property, realty - property consisting of houses and land
2.mortmain - the oppressive influence of past events or decisions
influence - a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc; "used her parents' influence to get the job"


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Already, however, the legal tongues are wagging, and one young law student is loudly asserting that the rights of the owner are already completely sacrificed, his property being held in contravention of the statues of mortmain, since the tiller, as emblemship, if not proof, of delegated possession, is held in a dead hand.
 
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