 | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Defendant. A person sued in a court of law; the party in a suit who defends; opposed to plaintiff.
Definitor. An officer of the chapter in certain monastic orders, charged with the 'definition' or decision of points of discipline.
Demesne. An estate held in demesne: land possessed or occupied by the owner himself, and not held of him by any subordinate tenant, excluding the land held by the villeins or copyholders, and applied only to that actually occupied or held 'in hand' by the owner.
Depasture. Of cattle: To consume the produce of (land) by grazing upon it; to use for pasturage; to graze. To put (cattle) to graze; to pasture or feed (cattle).
Detain. To keep back, withhold; esp. to keep back what is owed or claimed to be owed.
Distrain. To constrain or force (a person), by the seizure and detention of a chattel or thing, to perform some obligation (as to pay money owed by him, to make satisfaction for some wrong done by him or by his beasts, or to perform some other act, e.g. to appear in court).
Distress. The action of distraining; the legal seizure and detention of a chattel, originally for the purpose of thereby constraining the owner to pay money owed by him or to make satisfaction for some wrong done by him, or to do some other act (e.g. to appear in court.
Dower. Money or property owing to a widow during her lifetime. In common law, this was one-third of the husband's lands.
Dowry. Money or property brought by a bride to her husband at marriage.