curtesy

noun cur·te·sy \ˈkər-tə-sē\

plural cur·te·sies

Definition of CURTESY

: a husband's interest upon the death of his wife in the real property of an estate that she either solely owned or inherited provided they bore a child capable of inheriting the estate — compare dower

Origin of CURTESY

Middle English corteisie courtesy

First Known Use: 1523

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about "curtesy"

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