MORTMAIN


Meaning of MORTMAIN in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈmȯrt-ˌmān ]

noun

Etymology: Middle English morte-mayne, from Anglo-French mortmain, from morte (feminine 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

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.