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Glite Dictionary
to fee-tail

to fee-tail

9.9
To limit who can inherit land so it stays in one family
  • verb
  • Archaic
translation icon : restringir la herencia
  • He decided to fee-tail his property to his children.

Examples

  • The estate was fee-tailed so only direct male descendants could inherit it.

  • The family decided to fee-tail the property to ensure it stayed within their bloodline.

  • By fee-tailing his lands, the lord prevented their division among distant relatives.

  • The lawyer explained how to fee-tail an estate effectively.

  • By fee-tailing his lands, the lord prevented their division among distant relatives.

  • The family decided to fee-tail the property to ensure it stayed within their bloodline.

  • The estate was fee-tailed so only direct male descendants could inherit it.

Synonyms

to entail
vsto fee-tail
  • Formal
1 9.5

To limit who can inherit property so it stays in one family

is a specific legal form that restricts inheritance to a class without transfer rights

Surface Forms

fee-tail infinitive
fee-tailed past
fee-tailed past participle
fee-tailing present participle
fee-tails third person singular

Etymology

Fee-tail comes from two parts: fee meaning 'property' or 'estate' and tail, from an old French word meaning 'to cut' or 'limit', the same idea seen in retail or detail. So, a fee-tail is a 'cut' or limit on a piece of property that keeps it passing only to certain people who can inherit it.