MORTMAIN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does mortmain mean? 

• MORTMAIN (noun)
  The noun MORTMAIN has 2 senses:

1. real property held inalienably (as by an ecclesiastical corporation)

2. the oppressive influence of past events or decisions

  Familiarity information: MORTMAIN used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MORTMAIN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Real property held inalienably (as by an ecclesiastical corporation)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Synonyms:

dead hand; mortmain

Hypernyms ("mortmain" is a kind of...):

immovable; real estate; real property; realty (property consisting of houses and land)

Domain category:

corp; corporation (a business firm whose articles of incorporation have been approved in some state)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The oppressive influence of past events or decisions

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

dead hand; dead hand of the past; mortmain

Hypernyms ("mortmain" is a kind of...):

influence (a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc)

 Context examples 

Already, however, the legal tongues are wagging, and one young law student is loudly asserting that the rights of the owner are already completely sacrificed, his property being held in contravention of the statutes of mortmain, since the tiller, as emblemship, if not proof, of delegated possession, is held in a dead hand.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)