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.

Search
  • SEXTANS
    Lat. In Roman law. A subdivision of the as, containing two uncicae; the proportion of two-twelfths, or one-sixth. 2 Bl. Comm. 462, note.
  • SEXTARY
    In old records. An ancient measure of liquids, and of dry commodities; a quarter or seam. Spelman.
  • SEXTERY LANDS
    Lands given to a church or religious house for maintenance of a sexton or sacristan. Cowell.
  • SEXTUS DECRETALTUM
    Lat. The sixth (book) of the decretals; the sext, or sixth decretal. So called because appended, in the body of the canon law, to the five hooks of the decretals of Gregory IX.; it consists of a collection of supplementary decretals, and was published A. D. 1298, Butl. Hor. Jur. More...
  • SEXUAL INSTINCT, INVERSION AND PERVERSION OF
    See INSANITY; PEDERASTY; SODOMY.
  • SEXUAL INTERCOURSE
    Carnal copulation of male and female, Implying actual penetration of the organs of the latter, State v. Frazier, 54 Kan. 719, 39 Pac. 822.
  • SHACK
    In English law. The straying and escaping of cattle out of the lands of their owners into other uninclosed land; an intercommoning of cattle. 2 H. Bl. 416. It sometimes happens that a number of adjacent fields, though held in severalty, i. e., by separate owners, and cultivated separately, are, More...
  • SHALL
    As used in statutes and similar instruments, this word is generally imperative or mandatory; but it may be construed as merely permissive or directory, (as equivalent to "may,") to carry out the legislative intention and in cases where no right or benefit to any one depends on its being taken More...
  • SHAM PLEA
    See PLEA.
  • SHARE
    A portion of anything. When a whole is divided into shares, they are not necessarily equal. In the law of corporations and joint-stock companies, a share is a definite portion of the capital of a company. -Share and share alike In equal shares or proportions.-Share-certificate. A share-certificate is an instrument More...
Showing 12680 of 14636