n.
Pronunciation: ' mo ̇ rt- ˌ m ā n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English morte-mayne, from Anglo-French mortmain, from morte (fem. of mort dead) + main hand, from Latin manus ― more at MANUAL
Date: 15th century
1 a : an inalienable possession of lands or buildings by an ecclesiastical or other corporation b : the condition of property or other gifts left to a corporation in perpetuity especially for religious, charitable, or public purposes
2 : the influence of the past regarded as controlling the present