Legal Term Dictionary

Search our free database of thousands of legal terms. The easiest-to-read, most user-friendly guide to legal terms.This dictionary is from the early 20th century and is not to be construed as legal advice.

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  • CLOSE
    v. To finish, terminate, complete, wind up; as, to "close" an account, a bargain, an estate, or public books, such as tax books. Patton v. Ash, 7 Serg. & It (Pa.) 116; Coleman v. Garrigues, 18 Barb. (N. Y.) 67; Clark v. New York, 13 N. Y. St. Rep. 292; More...
  • CLOSE
    n. A portion of land, as a field, inclosed, as by a hedge, fence, or other visible inclosure. 3 Bl. Comm. 209. The interest of a person in any particular piece of ground, whether actually inclosed or not Locklin v. Casler, 50 How. Prac. (N. Y.) 44; Meade v. Watson, More...
  • CLOSE
    adj. In practice. Closed or sealed up. A term applied to writs and letters, as distinguished from those that are open or patent —Close copies. Copies of legal documents which might be written closely or loosely at pleasure; as distinguished from office copies, which were to contain only a prescribed More...
  • CLOSE-HAULED
    In admiralty law, this nautical term means the arrangement or trim of a vessel's sails when she endeavors to make a progress in the nearest direction possible towards that point of the compass from which the wind blows. But a vessel may be considered as close-hauled, although she is not More...
  • CLOTURE
    The procedure In deliberative assemblies whereby debate is closed. Introduced in the English parliament in the session of 1882.
  • CLOUD ON TITLE
    An outstanding claim or incumbrance which, if valid, would affect or impair the title of the owner of a particular estate, and which apparently and on its face has that effect but which can be shown by extrinsic proof to be invalid or inapplicable to the estate in question. A More...
  • CLOUGH
    A valley. Also an allowance for the turn of the scale, on buying goods wholesale by weight
  • CLUB
    A voluntary, unincorporated association of persons for purposes of a social, literary, or political nature, or the like. A club is not a partnership. 2 Mees. & W. 172. The word "club" has no very definite meaning. Clubs are formed for all sorts of purposes, and there is no uniformity More...
  • CLUB-LAW
    Rule of violence; regulation by force; the law of arms.
  • CLYPEUS, OR CLIPEUS
    In old English law. A shield; metaphorically one of a noble family. Clypei prostrati, noble families extinct Mat Paris, 463.
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