de·mise
(dĭ-mīz′)n.1. a. Death.
b. The end of existence or activity; termination: the demise of the streetcar.
2. Law Transfer of an estate by lease or will.
3. The transfer of a ruler's authority by death or abdication.
v. de·mised, de·mis·ing, de·mis·es
v.tr.1. Law To transfer (an estate) by will or lease.
2. To transfer (sovereignty) by abdication or will.
v.intr.1. Law To be transferred by will or descent: The land demised to a charitable institution.
2. To die.
[Middle English, transfer of property, from Old French dimis, past participle of demettre, to release; see demit.]
de·mis′a·ble adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.