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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  • MODERAMEN INCULPATE TUTELAE
    Lat. In Roman law. The regulation of justifiable defense. A term used to express that degree of force in defense of the person or property which a person might safely use, although it should occasion the death of the aggressor. Calvin; Bell.
  • MODERATA MISERICORDIA
    A writ founded on Magna Charta. which lies for him who is amerced in a court not of record, for any transgression beyond the quality or quantity of the offense. It Is addressed to the lord of the court, or his bailiff, commanding nim to take a moderate amerciament of More...
  • MODERATE CASTIGAVIT
    Lat In pleading. He moderately chastised. The name of a plea in trespass which justifies an alleged battery on the ground that It consisted in a moderate chastisement of the plaintiff by the defendant, which, from their relations, the latter had a legal right to inflict
  • MODERATE SPEED
    In admiralty law. AS applied to a steam-vessel, "such speed only is moderate as will permit the steamer reasonably and effectually to avoid a collision by slackening speed, or by stopping and reversing, within the distance at which an approaching vessel can be seen." The City of New York (C. More...
  • MODERATOR
    A chairman or president of an assembly. A person appointed to preside at a popular meeting. The presiding officer of town-meetings in New England is so called. See Wheeler v. Carter, 180 Mass. 382, 62 N. E. 471.
  • MODIATIO
    In old English law. A certain duty paid for every tierce of wine. Modioa eirenmstantia facti jus ma tat. A small circumstance attending an act may change the law.
  • MODIFICATION
    A change; an alteration which introduces new elements into the details, or cancels some of them, but leaves the general purpose and effect of the subject-matter intact. Wiley v. Corporation of Bluff-ton, 111 Ind. 152, 12 N. E. 165; State v. Tucker, 36 Or. 291, 61 Pac. 894, 51 L. More...
  • MODIFY
    To alter; to change in Incidental or subordinate features. See MODIFICATION.
  • MODIUS
    Lat. A measure. Specifically, a Roman dry measure having a capacity of about 550 cubic inches; but in medieval English law used as an approximate translation of the word "bushel." -Modins terras vel ajrri. In old English ' law. A quantity of ground containing in length and breadth 100 feet
  • MODO ET FORMA
    Lat In manner and form. Words used in the old Latin forms of pleadings by way of traverse, and literally translated in the modern precedents, importing that the party traversing denies the allegation of the other party, not only in its general effect, but in the exact manner and form More...
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