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Webster 1913 Edition

Entail

En-tail′

,
Noun.
[OE.
entaile
carving, OF.
entaille
, F., an incision, fr.
entailler
to cut away; pref.
en-
(L.
in
) +
tailler
to cut; LL.
feudum talliatum
a fee entailed, i. e., curtailed or limited. See
Tail
limitation,
Tailor
.]
1.
That which is entailed.
Hence:
(Law)
(a)
An estate in fee entailed, or limited in descent to a particular class of issue.
(b)
The rule by which the descent is fixed.
A power of breaking the ancient
entails
, and of alienating their estates.
Hume.
2.
Delicately carved ornamental work; intaglio.
[Obs.]
“A work of rich entail.”
Spenser.

En-tail′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Entailed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Entailing
.]
[OE.
entailen
to carve, OF.
entailler
. See
Entail
,
Noun.
]
1.
To settle or fix inalienably on a person or thing, or on a person and his descendants or a certain line of descendants; – said especially of an estate; to bestow as an heritage.
Allowing them to
entail
their estates.
Hume.
I here
entail

The crown to thee and to thine heirs forever.
Shakespeare
2.
To appoint hereditary possessor.
[Obs.]
To
entail
him and his heirs unto the crown.
Shakespeare
3.
To cut or carve in an ornamental way.
[Obs.]
Entailed
with curious antics.
Spenser.

Webster 1828 Edition

Entail

ENTA'IL

,
Noun.
1.
An estate or fee entailed, or limited indescent to a particular heir or heirs. Estates-tail are general, as when lands and tenements are given to one and the heirs of his body begotten; or special, as when lands and tenements are given to one and the heirs of his body by a particular wife.
2.
Rule of descent settled for an estate.
3.
Engraver's work; inlay.

ENTA'IL

,
Verb.
T.
To settle the descent of lands and tenements, by gift to a man and to certain heirs specified, so that neither the donee nor any subsequent possessor can alienate or bequeath it; as, to entail a manor to AB and to his eldest son, or to his heirs of his body begotten, or to his heirs by a particular wife.
1.
To fix unalienably on a person or thing, or on a person and his descendants. By the apostasy misery is supposed to be entailed on mankind. The intemperate often entail infirmities, diseases and ruin on their children.
2.
[from the French verb.] To cut; to carve for ornament.

Definition 2024

entail

entail

English

Verb

entail ‎(third-person singular simple present entails, present participle entailing, simple past and past participle entailed)

  1. (transitive) To imply or require.
    This activity will entail careful attention to detail.
  2. (transitive) To settle or fix inalienably on a person or thing, or on a person and his descendants or a certain line of descendants; -- said especially of an estate; to bestow as a heritage.
    • Allowing them to entail their estates. — David Hume.
    • I here entail The crown to thee and to thine heirs forever. — Shakespeare
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To appoint hereditary possessor.
    • To entail him and his heirs unto the crown. — Shakespeare
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To cut or carve in an ornamental way.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

entail ‎(plural entails)

  1. That which is entailed. Hence:
    An estate in fee entailed, or limited in descent to a particular class of issue.
    The rule by which the descent is fixed.
    • A power of breaking the ancient entails, and of alienating their estates. — David Hume.
  2. (obsolete) Delicately carved ornamental work; intaglio.

Translations

References

Anagrams

Etymology

From Old English entaile ‎(“carving”), from Old French entaille ‎(“incision”), from entailler ‎(“to notch, (literally) to cut in”); from prefix en- + tailler ‎(“to cut”), from Late Latin taliare, from Latin talea. Compare late Latin feudum talliatum ‎(“a fee entailed, i.e., curtailed or limited”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɛnˈteɪl/
  • Rhymes: -eɪl

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