Per stirpes
Defined in 3 dictionaries — Ballentine's (1916), Black's (1910), Bouvier (1839)
Ballentine's Law Dictionary
James A. Ballentine · 1916
By roots; by representation; inheritance from a decedent by descendants of that to which he would have been entitled, had he lived. See 86 Md. 633, 39 Atl. 415.
Black's Law Dictionary
Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910
Lat By roots or stocks; by representation. This term, derived from the civil law, is much used in the law of descents and distribution, and denotes that method of dividing an intestate estate where a class or group of distributees take the share which their stock (a deceased ancestor) would have been entitled to, taking thus by their right of representing such ancestor, and not as so many individuals; whlle other heirs, who stand in equal degree with such ancestor to the decedent, take each a share equal to hls. See Rotmanskey v. Heiss, 86 Md. 633, 39 AU. 415.
A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States
John Bouvier · 1839
by stock; by roots. When, for example, a man dies intestate, leaving children and grandchildren, whose parents are deceased, the estate is to be divided not per capita, that is by each of the children and grandchildren taking a share, but per stirpes, by each of the children taking a share, and the grandchildren, the children of a deceased child, taking a share to be afterwards divided among themselves per capita.