Definify.com

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.

Similar Results