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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  • BLOOD
    Kindred; consanguinity; family relationship; relation by descent from a common ancestor. One person is "of the blood" of another when they are related by lineal descent or collateral kinship. Miller v. Speer, 38 N. J. Eq. 572; Delaplalne v. Jones, 8 N. J. Law, 346; Leigh v. Leigh, 15 Yes. More...
  • BLOOD MONEY
    A weregild, or pecuniary mulct paid by a slayer to the relatives of his victim. Also used, in a popular sense, as descriptive of money paid by way of reward for the apprehension and conviction of a person charged with a capital crime.
  • BLOOD STAINS, TESTS FOR
    See PRECIPITIN TEST.
  • BLOODWIT
    An amercement for bloodshed. Cowell. The privilege of taking such amercements. Skene. A privilege or exemption'from paying a fine or amercement assessed for bloodshed. CowelL
  • BLOODY HAND
    In forest law. The having the hands or other parts bloody; which, in a person caught trespassing in the forest against venison, was one of the four kinds of circumstantial evidence of his having killed deer, although he was not found in the act of chasing or hunting. ManwoocL
  • BLUE LAWS
    A supposititious code of severe laws for the regulation of religious and personal conduct in the colonies of Connecticut and New Haven; hence any rigid Sunday laws or religious regulations. The assertion by some writers of the existence of the blue laws has no other basis than the adoption, by More...
  • BOARD
    A committee of persons organized under authority of law in order to exercise certain authorities, have oversight or control of certain matters, or discharge certain functions, of a magisterial, representative, or fiduciary character. Thus, "board of aldermen" "board of health," "board of directors," "board of works." Also lodging, food, entertainment, More...
  • BOARDER
    One who, being the inhabitant of a place, makes a special contract with another person for food with or without lodging. Berkshire Woollen Co. v. Proctor, 7 Cush. (Mass.) 424. One who has food and lodging in the house or with the family of another for an agreed price, and More...
  • BOARDING-HOUSE
    A boarding-house is not in common parlance, or in legal meaning, every private house where one or more boarders are kept occasionally only and upon special considerations. But It is a quasi public house, where boarders are generally and habitually kept, and which is held out and known as a More...
  • BOAT
    A small open vessel, or water-craft, usually moved by oars or rowing. It is commonly distinguished in law from a ship or vessel, by being of smaller size and without a deck. U. S. v. Open Boat, 5 Mason, 120, 137, Fed. Cas. No. 15,967.
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