Black's Law Dictionary

In old English law. An officer (called also chief warden of the forest) who had the principal government of all things relating to the forest, and the control of all officers belon

A name sometimes applied to the chancellor of England, as being formerly an ecclesiastic and presiding over the royal chapel. 3 Bl. Comm. 48.

In English law. An officer through whose hands pass ali charters signed by the king before they come to the great seal. He ls a privy councillor, and was anciently calied "clerk of

The master of the assay in the English mint. 12 Hen. VI. c. 14.

To drag a person under the keel of a ship by means of ropes from the yard-arms, a punishment formerly practicod in the British navy. Elan. Lond.

An edict or award between Henry III. and those who had been in arms against him; so calied because made at Kenilworth Castle, in Warwickshire, anno 51 Hen. III., A. D. 1266. It con

In Scotch law. The act of the sheriff in ascertaining the just proportion of the husband's lands which belong to the widow in right of her terce or dower. Bell.

In maritime law. A permanent ballast, consisting usually of pigs of iron, cast in a particular form or other weighty material, which, on account of its superior cleaniiness, and th

The division of a county; a hundred in Wales. See Cantbed.

A series of resolutions drawn up by Jefferson, and adopted by the legislature of Kentucky in 1799, protesting against the "alien and sedition laws," declaring their illegality, ann

The jagged end of a stick of wood made by the cutting. Pub. St. Mass. 1882, p. 1292.

A customary cart-way; also a commutation for a customary carriage-duty. Cowell.

Fortified or embattled. Co.. Litt. 5a.

In English law. Idlers; vagabonds.

A wharf for the lading and unlading of merchandise from vessels. More commonly spelled "quay." An instrument for fastening and opening a lock. This appears as an English word as ea

A toll paid for loading and unloading merchandise at a key or wharf. Rowan v. Portland, 8 B. Mon. (Ky.) 253.

In the Isle of Man, are the twenty-four chief commoners, who form the local legislature. 1 Steph. Comm. 99. In old English law. A guardian, warden, or kceper.

In old Scotch law. Co.rtain officers of courts. See Claves Curias.

A guardian, warden or kceper. Mon. Angl. tom. 2, p. 71.

In Hindu law. An office of government in which the business of the revenue department was transacted under the Mohammedan government, and during the early period of British rule. K

In English law. An engrosser ©f corn to enhance its price. Also a huckster.

In old English law. A dam or open wear In a river, with a loop or narrow cut in it, accommodated for the laying of engines to catch fish. 2 Inst. 38; Blount.

The forcible abduction or stealing away of a man, woman or child from their own country, and sending them into another. It is an offense punishable at the common law by fine and im

A measure of eighteen gallons.

An ancient servile payment made by tenants in husbandry. Cowell.

n. A Dutch word, signifying a channel or bed of the river, and hence the river or stream itself. It is found used in this sense in descriptions of land in old conveyances. French v

A custom by which lords of manors were boun'd to provide a stallion for the use of their tenants' mares. Spelman.

Relation or relationship by blood or consanguinity. "The nearness of kin is computed according to the civil law." 2 Kent, Comm. 413. See Keniston v. Mayhew, 169 Mass. 166, 47 N. E.

Genus; generic class; description. See In Kind.

Relatives by blood. "Kindred of the whole blood, preferred to kindred of the half blood." 4 Kent, Comm. 404, notes. See Butler v. Eiyton Land Co., 84 Ala. 384, 4 South. 675; Farr v

The sovereign, ruler or chief executive magistrate of a state or nation whose constitution is of the kind called "monarchical" is thus named if a man; if it be a woman, she is call

The art of governing.

A country where an officer called a "king" exercises the powers of government, whether the same be absolute or limited. Wolff, Inst. Nat § 994. In some kingdoms, the executive offi

A royal aid; an escuage, (q. v.)

An English advocate who holds, in the ceurts in which the rules of the canon and civil law prevail, a similar position to that which the attorney general holds in the ordinary cour

The principal herald of England was of old designated "king of the heralds," a title which seems to have been exchanged for "king-at-arms" about the reign of Henry IV. The kings-at

The supreme court of common law in England, being so called because the king used formerly to sit there in person, the style of the court being "coram ipso rege." It was called the

Those portions of the seas, adjacent to the coasts of Great Britain, which are inclosed within headlands so as to be cut off from the open sea by imaginary straight lines drawn fro

An officer of the court of king's bench, usually called "the master of the crown offico," whose duty it is to file informations at the suit of a private subject by direction of the

Barristers or serjeants who have bcen called within the bar and selected to be the king's counsel. They answer in some measure to the advocati fisci or advocates of the revenue, am

When several persons are charged with a crime, and one of them gives evidence against his accomplices, on the promise of being granted a pardon, he is said to be admitted king's or

A proctor or solicitor representing the crown in the former practice of the courts of probate and divorce. In petitions for dissolution of marriage or for declarations of nullity o

An officer of the central office of the English supreme court. Formerly he was an officer of the exchequer, and had important duties to perform in protecting the rights of the crow

In old English practice. A fine due the king pro licentia concordandi, (for leave to agree,) in the process of levying a fine. 5 Coke, 39, 43; 2 Inst. 511; 2 Bl. Comm. 350.

In feudal law. A widow of the king's tenant in chief, who was obliged to take oath in chancery that she would not marry without the king's leave.

Relations ; those who are of the same family.

In Saxon law. A composition or satisfaction paid for killing a kinsman. Spelman.

A man of the same race or family. Wood v. Mitcham, 92 N. Y. 379.

A female relation.

A hundred pounds in weight. See Quintal.

A ship's ballast See Kentlage.

In old English law. The space of time betwcen the 3d of May and the Epiphany, in which fishing for salmon in the Thames, between Gravesend and Henley-on-Thames, was forbidden. Rot.

In English law. An ancient record remaining with the remembrancer of the exchequer, being an inquisition or survey of all the lands in England, taken in the reign of Edward I. by J

In Scotch law. A church; the church; the established church of Scotland. —Kirk-mote. A meeting of parishioners on church affairs. —Kirk-officer. The beadle of a church in Scotland.

A meeting of parishioners on church affairs.

The beadle of a church in Scotland.

A parochial church court in Scotland, consisting of the ministers and elders of each parish.

The ceremony of touching the lips to a copy of the Bible, used in administering oaths. It is the external symbol of the witness' acknowledgment of the obligation of the oath.

In Hindu law. A stated payment; installment of rent.

In medical jurisprudence. A form (or symptom) of mania, consisting in an irresistible propensity to steal. See INSANITT.

A rascal; a false, tri9ky or deceitful person. The word originally meant a boy, attendant or servant, but long-continued usage has given it its present signification.

A portion of grain given to a mill-servant from tenants who were bound to grind their grain at such mill.

In English law. The next personal dignity after the nobility. Of knights there are several orders and degrees. The first in rank are knights of the Garter, instituted by Richard I.

A court which used to be held twice a year by the bishop of Hereford, In England.

An ancient guild or society formed by King Edgar.

The rank, order, character, or dignity of a knight.

In English law. An officer in the royal household who has jurisdiction and cognizance of offenses committed within the household and verge, and of all contracts made therein, a mem

In English law. The most ancient, though lowest, order of knighthood. 1 Bl. Comm. 404.

In English law. Those created by the sovereign in person on the field of battle. They rank, generally, after knights of the Garter. 1 BI. Comm. 403.

A species of feudal tenure, which differed very slightly from a pure and perfect feud, being entirely of a military nature; and it was the first, most universal, and most honorable

See Fee.

Michael and St. George. An English order of knighthood, instituted in 1818.

In English law. A military order of knighthood, instituted by Richard II. The order was newly regulated by notifications in the London Gazette of 25th May, 1847, and 16th August, 1

Those created in the sovereign's chamber in time of peace, not in the field. 2 Inst. 666.

Otherwise called "Knights of the Order of St. George." This order was founded by Richard I., and improved by Edward III., A. D. 1344. They form the highest order of knights.

A term for hireling wiinesses.

In English law. Members of parliament representing counties or shires, in contradistinction to citizens or burgesses, who represent boroughs or corporations. A knight of the shire

A Scottish order of knighthood. This order is said to have been instituted by Achaius, king of Scotland, A. D. 819. The batter opinion, however, is that it was instituted by James

To assign to a bidder at an auction by a knock or blow of the hammer. Property is said to be "knocked down" when the auctioneer, by the fall of his hammer or by any other audible o

In seamen's language, a "knot" is a division of the log-line serving to measure the rate of the vessel's motion. The number of knots which run off from the reel in half a minute sh

In conveyancing. A form of public address, of great antiquity, and with which many written instruments, such as bonds, letters of attorney, etc., stili commence.

With knowledge; consciously ; intelligently. The use of this word in an indictment is equivalent to an averment that the defendant knew what he was about to do, and, with such know

The difference between "knowledge" and "belief" is nothing more than in the degree of certe inty. With regard to things which make not a very deep impression on the memory, it may

A title formerly given te the Lollards. Cowell.

The Mohammedan book of faith. It contains both ecclesiastical and secular laws.

See Knight.

In Hindu law. A mortgage-deed or deed of conditional sale, being one of the customary deeds or instruments of security in India as declared by regulation of 1806, which regulates t

A Welsh term for a waster, rhymer, minstrel or other vagabond who makes assemblies and collections. Barring. Oh. St 360.

Sav. Kin or kindred.

A Norman French term signifying "grandfather." It is also spelled "ateul" and "ayle." Kelham. This letter, as a Roman numeral, stands for the number "fifty." It is also used as an

An abbreviation of "Long Quinto," one of the parte of the Year Books.

Fr. The. The definite article in the feminine gender. Occurs in some legal terms and phrases; as "Termes de la Ley," terms of the law. Fr. There. An adverb of time and place; where

In old records. A net, gin or snare.

Anything appended to a larger writing, as a codicil; a narrow slip of paper or parchment affixed to a deed or writ, in order to hold the appending seal. In the vernacular, the word

In old records. Watery land.

1. Work; toil; service. Continued exertion, of the more onerous and inferior kind, usually and chiefly consisting in the protracted expenditure of muscular force, adapted to the ac

In old practice. To tamper with a jury; to endeavor to influence them in their verdict or their verdict generally.

An ancient writ against persons who refused to serve and do labor, and who had no means of llving; Or against such as, having served in the winter, refused to serve in the summer.

One who, as a means of livelihood, performs work and labor for those who employ him. Oliver v. Macon Hardware Co., 98 Ga. 249, 25 S. B. 403, 58 Am. St. Rep. 300; Blanchard v. Railw

In English iaw. These are the statutes 23 Edw. III., 12 Rich. 11., 5 Eliz. c. 4, and 26 & 27 Viet. c. 125', making various regulations as to laborers, servants, apprentices, etc.