/huy poth"ik, hi-/ , n.
1. Roman and Civil Law. a mortgage or security held by a creditor on the property of a debtor without possession of it, created either by agreement or by operation of law.
2. (in some modern legal systems) a security interest created in immovable property.
[ 1585-95; earlier hypotheca hypothéke deposit, pledge, mortgage (akin to hypotithénai to deposit as pledge). See HYPO-, THECA ]