Black's Law Dictionary

Co. Litt. 126. Filiation cannot be proved.

In old English law. A ferny or bracky ground; a place where fern grows. Co.. Litt. 4b; Shep. Touch. 95.

7 Coke, 8. A son in the mother's womb is part of the mother's vitals.

In old records. A godson. Spelman.

Lat. A son; a child. A distinction was sometimes made, in the civil law, between "filii" and "liberifi' the latter word including grandchildren, (nepotes,) the former not. Inst. 1,

1 Sid. 193. Son is a name of nature, but heir is a name of law.

In the civil law. The son of a family; an unemancipated son. Inst. 2, 12, pr.; Id. 4, 5, 2; Story, Confl. Laws, § 61.

In old English law. The eldest legitimate son of a woman, who previously had an illegitimate son by his father. Glanv. lib. 7, C. 1. Otherwise called "mulier." 2 Bl. Comm. 248.

The son of nobody; i. e., a bastard.

A son of the people ; a natural child.

To make full; to complete; to satisfy or fulfill; to possess and perform the duties of. The election of a person to an office constitutes the essence of his appointment; but the of

A young mare; a female colt. An indictment charging the theft of a "filly" is not sustained by proof of the larceny of a "mare." Lunsford v. State, 1 Tex. App. 448, 28 Aih. Rep. 41

Lat. In old practice. A file; l. e., a thread or wire on which papers were strung, that being the ancient method of filing. An imaginary thread or line passing through the middle o

A thread of water; a line of water; the middle line of a stream;of water, supposed to divide it into two equal parts, and constituting in many cases the boundary between the ripari

The border of the forest. 2 Bl. Comm. 419; 4 Inst. 303. —'Fiium viæ. The thread or middle line of a road. An imaginary line drawn through the middle of a road, and constituting the

Fr. An end or limit; a limitation or period of limitation.

Definitive; terminating; completed ; last In its use in jurisprudence, this word is generally contrasted with "interlocutory." Johnson v. New York, 48 Hun, 629, 1 N. Y. Supp. 254;

Such costs as are to be paid at the end of the suit; costs, the liability for which depends upon the final result of the litigation. Goodyear v. Sawyer (C. C.) 17 Fed. 8.

One from which no appeal or writ of error can be taken. Railway Co. v. Gillespie, 158 Ind. 454, 63 N. E. 84G; Bland-ing v. Sayles, 23 R. I. 226, 49 Atl. 992.

When it is said to be essential to the validity of an award that it should make a "final disposition" of the matters embraced in the submission, this term means such a disposition

This term designates the trial of an equity case upon the merits, as distinguished from the hearing of any preliminary questions arising in the cause, which are termed "interlocuto

A final injunction is one granted when the rights of the parties are determined ; it may be made mandatory, (commanding acts to be done,) and ls distinguished from a preliminary in

A final or conclusive agreement. In the process of "levying a fine," this was a final agreement entered by the litigating parties upon the record, by permission of court, settling

One which either terminates the action itself, or decides some matter litigated by the parties, or operates to divest some right; or one which completely disposes of the subject-ma

In parliamentary law. The final passage of a bili is the vote on its passage in either house of the legislature, after it has received the prescribed number of readings on as many

The last process in a suit; that is, writs of execution. Thus distinguished from mesne process, which includes ali writs issued during the progress of a cause and before final judg

The final judgment in an action. Also the final verdict in an action, as distinguished from the judgment entered upon it Fisk v. Gray, 100 Mass. 193; Count Joannes v. Pangborn. 6 A

One which puts an end to a case. Distinguished from interlocutory

This term, as applied to the administration of an estate, la usually understood to have reference to the order of court approving the account which closes the business of the estat

The publlc wealth of a state or government, considered either statically (as the property or money which a state now owns) or dynamically, (as its income, revenue, or public resour

A person employed in the economical management and application of public money; one skilled in the management of financial affaire,

In French law. An exception or plea founded on law, which, without entering into the merits of the action, shows that the plaintiff has no right to bring it, either bscause the tim

To discover; to determine; to ascertain and declare. To announce a conclusion, as the result of judicial investigation, upon a disputed fact or state of facts; as a jury are said t

One who discovers and takes possession of another's personal property, which was then lost. Kincaid v. Eaton, 98 Mass. 139, 93 Am. Dec. 142. A searcher employed to discover goods i

A decision upon a question of fact reached as the result of a Judicial examination or investigation by a court, Jury, referee, coroner, etc. Williams v. Giblin, 86 Wis. 648, 57 N.

A determination of a fact by the court, such fact being averred by one party and denied by the other, and the determination being based on the evidence in the case; also the answer

n. In conveyancing. An amicable composition or agreement of a suit, either actual or fictitious, by leave of the court, by which the lauds in question become, or are acknowledged t

The English statutes 3 & 4 Wm. IV. c. 74, for abolishing fines and recoveries. 1 Steph. Comm. 514, et seq.

An abolished writ for disannulling a fine levied of lands in ancient demesne to the prejudice of the lord. Reg. Orig. 15.

An obsolete writ which lay for a person who, upon conviction by jury, had his lands and goods taken, and his body imprisoned, to be remitted his imprisonment, and have his lands an

A fine anciently payable upon the alienation of a feudal estate and substitution of a new tenant. It was payable to the lord by all tenants holding by knight's service or tenants i

An absolute necessity or inevitable constraint. Plowd. 94; 6 Coke, 11; Cowell.

A fine anciently payable to the lord by the widow of a tenant, without which she could not be endowed of her husband's lands. Abolished under Henry I., and by Magna Charta. 2 Bl. C

To make or pay a fine. Bract. 106.

An obsolete writ to inhibit officers of courts to take fines for fair pleading.

An old writ that lay for the release of one imprisoned for a redisseisin, on payment of a reasonable fine, Reg. Orig. 222.

In old English law. The king's fines. Fines formerly payable to the king for any contempt or offense, as where one committed any trespass or falsely denied his own deed or did anyt

A fine upon acknowledgment of the right merely, and not with the circumstance of a preceding gift from the cognizor. This was commonly used to pass a reversionary interest which wa

A fine upon concessit, (he hath granted.) A species of fine, where the cognizor, in order to make an end of disputes, though he acknowledged no precedent right, yet granted to the

A double fine, comprehending the fine sur cognizance de droit come ceo and the fine sur concessit. It might be used to convey particular limitations of estates, whereas the fine su

In old English law. To fine or pay a Ann. Cowell. To end or finish a matter.

Lat. An end; a fine; a boundary or terminus; a limit. Also in L. Lat., a fine (q. v.)

Glan. lin. 8, c. l. A flne is an amicable settlement and decisive agreement by consent and agreement of our lord, the king or his justices.

A fine puts an end to litigation. 3 Inst 78.

3 Inst. 5L The end of a thing is to be attended to.

2 Bulst. 305. The end of one day is the beginning of another.

An ending; dcath, as the end of Ilfe, Blount; Cowell.

In the civll law. Action for regulating boundaries. The name of an action which lay between those who had lands bordering on each other, to settle disputed boundaries. Mackeld. Rom

Those that purify gold and silver, and part them by fire and water from coarser metals; and therefore, in the statute of 4 Hen. VII. c. 2, they are also called "parters." Termes de

Sax. In old English law. A summoning forth to a military expedition, (indictio ad profectionem militarem.) Spelman.

Sax. A preparation to go into the army. Leg. Hen. I.

Sav. In old English law. Exemption from military service. Speiman.

In old English law. A fine for refusing military service, (mulcta detrectantis militiam.) Spelman. A fine imposed for murder committed in the army; an acquittance of such flne. Fle

The effect of combustion. The juridical meaning of the word does not differ from the vernacular. 1 Pars. Mae, Law, 231, et seq. —Fire and sword, letters of. In old Scotch law. Lett

In old Scotch law. Letters issued from the privy council in Scotland, addressed to the sheriff of the county, authorizing him to call for the assistance of the county to dispossess

This word comprises nil sorts of guns, fowling-pieces, blunderbusses, pistols, etc. Harris v. Cameron, 81 Wis. 239, 51 N. W. 437, 29 Am. St. Rep. 891; Atwood v. State, 53 Ala. 509;

An allowance of wood or estovers to maintain competent firing for the tenant. A sufficient allowance of wood to bnrn in a house. 1 Washb. Real Prop. 99.

One of the districts into which a city may be (and commonly is) divided for the purpose of more efficient service by the fire department in the extinction of fires. Des Moines v. G

A beacon or high tower by the seaside, wherein are continual lights, either to direct sailors in the night, or to give warning of the approach of an enemy. Cowell.

A contract of insurance by which the underwriter, in consideration of the premium, undertakes to indemnify the insured against ali losses in his houses, buildings, furniture, ships

The ordeal by fire or red-hot iron, which was performed either by taking up in the hand a piece of red-hot iron, of one, two, or three pounds weight, or by walking barefoot and bli

A policy of fire insurance. See Insurance.

To say of any article that it is "fire-proof" conveys no other idea than that the material out of which it is formed is incombustible. To say of a building that it is fire-proof ex

Wood suitable for fuel, not including standing or felled timber which is suitable and valuable for other purposes. Hogan v. Hogan, 102 Mich. 641, 61 N. W. 73.

A Scotch measure of capacity, containing two gallons and a pint. Spelman.

A partnership; the group of persons constituting a partnership. The name or title under which the members of a partnership transact business.—People v. Strauss, 97 III. App. 55; Bo

In old English law. The contract of lease or letting; also the rent (or farm) reserved upon a lease of lands, which was frequently payable in provisions, but semetimes in money, in

In old English law. A farm or lease of a fee ; a fee-farm.

A Turkish word denoting a decree or grant of privlleges or passport to a traveler.

The right of a tenant to his lands and tenements. Cowell.

In old records. A place in monasteries, and elsewhere, where the poor were received and supplied with food. Spelman. Hence the word "infirmary."

L. Lat. A fermor. A lessee of a term. Firmarii comprehend all such as hold by lease for life or lives or for year, by deed or without deed. 2 Inst. 144, 145; 1 Washb. Real Prop. 10

The doe season. Also a supplying with food. Cowell.

In old records. A farm.

The operation of the law is firmer and more powerful [or efficacious] than the disposition of man. Ch Litt 102a.

In old English law.. An assurance of some privilege, by deed or charter.

A statement that an affiant "firmly believes" the contents of the affidavit imports a strong or high degree of belief, and is equivalent to saying that he "verily" believes it. Bra

In old English law. Liberty to scour and repair a mill-dam, and carry away the soil, etc. Blount.

Initial; leading; chief; preceding all others of the same kind or class in sequence, (numerical or chronological;) entitled to priority or preference above others. Redman v. Railro

Of the most superior or excellent grade or kind; belonging to the head or chief or numerically precedent of several classes into which the general subject is divided. —First-class

In the postal laws. A11 mailable matter containing writing and ali else that is sealed against inspection.

In English law. Under the prisons act (28 & 29 Viet. c. 126, § 67) prisoners in the county, city, and borough prisons convicted of misdemeanor, and not sentenced to hard labor, are

A marketable title, shown by a clean record, or at least not depending on presumptions that must be overcome or facts that are uncertain. Vought v. Williams, 120 N. Y. 253, 24 N. E

Cousins-german; the children of one's uncle or aunt. Sanderson v. Bay-ley, 4 Mylne & C. 59.

The person to whom the estate is first given by the will, the term "next devisee" referring to the person to whom the renfainder is given. Young v. Robinson, 5 N. J. Law, 689; Wilc

In English ecolesiastical law. The first year's whole profits of every benefice or spiritual living, anciently paid by the incumbent to the pope, but afterwards transferred to the

The person who will be first entitled to succeed to the title to an estate after the termination of a life estate or estate for years. Winter v. Perratt, 5 Bam. & C. 48.

A case is said to be "of the first impression" when it presents an entirely novel question of law for the decision of the court, and cannot be governed by any existing precedent.

One which takes priority or precedence over nil other charges or incumbrances upon the same piece of property, and which must be satisfied before such other charges are entitled to

The first (in time or right) of a series of two or more mortgages covering the same property and successively attaching as liens upon it; also, in a more particular sense. a mortga