[ 'tʃampəti ]
■ noun Law an illegal agreement in which a person with no previous interest in a lawsuit finances it with a view to sharing the disputed property if the suit succeeds.
Derivatives
champertous adjective
Origin
ME: from Anglo-Norman Fr. champartie , from OFr. champart 'feudal lord's share of produce', from L. campus 'field' + pars 'part'.