mortmain, dead hand
(noun) real property held inalienably (as by an ecclesiastical corporation)
Source: WordNet® 3.1
mortmain (usually uncountable, plural mortmains)
(legal) The perpetual, inalienable possession of lands by a corporation or non-personal entity such as a church.
(literary) A strong and inalienable possession.
• marmiton
Source: Wiktionary
Mort"main`, n. Etym: [F. mort, morte, dead + main hand; F. main- morte. See Mortal, and Manual.] (Law)
Definition: Possession of lands or tenements in, or conveyance to, dead hands, or hands that cannot alienate.
Note: The term was originally applied to conveyance of land made to ecclesiastical bodies; afterward to conveyance made to any corporate body. Burrill.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
1 February 2025
(noun) an intellectual hold or understanding; “a good grip on French history”; “they kept a firm grip on the two top priorities”; “he was in the grip of a powerful emotion”; “a terrible power had her in its grasp”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
