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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  • CO-HEIRESS
    A Joint heiress. A woman who has an equal share of an inheritance with another woman.
  • COHUAGIUM
    A tribute made by those who meet promiscuously in a market or fair. Du Cange.
  • COIF
    A title given to Serjeants at law, who are called "Serjeants of the coif," from the coif they wear on their heads. The use of this coif at first was to cover the clerical tonsure, many of the practising Serjeants being clergyman who had abandoned their profession. It was a More...
  • COIN
    v. To fashion pieces of metal into , a prescribed shape, weight, and degree of fineness, and stamp them with prescribed devices, by authority of government, in order that they may circulate as money. Legal Tender Cases, 12 Wall. 484, 20 L. Ed. 287; Thayer v. Hedges, 22 Ind. 301; More...
  • COIN
    n. Pieces of gold, silver, or other metal, fashioned into a prescribed shape, weight, and degree of fineness, and stamped, by authority of government, with certain marks and devices, and put into circulation as money at a fixed value. Com. v. Gallagher, 16 Gray (Mass.) 240; Latham v. U. S., More...
  • COINAGE
    The process or the function of coining metallic money; also the great mass of metallic money in circulation. Meyer v. Roosevelt 25 How. Prac (N. Y.) 105; U. S. v. Otey (C. O.) 31 Fed. 70.
  • COITUS
    In medical jurisprudence. Sexual intercourse; carnal copulation.
  • COJUDICES
    Lat. In old English law. Associate judges having equality of power with others.
  • COLD WATER ORDEAL
    The trial which was anciently used for the common sort of people, who, having a cord tied about them under their arms, were cast into a river; if they sank to the bottom until they were drawn up, which was in a very short time, then were they held guiltless; More...
  • COLIBERTUS
    In feudal law. One who, holding in free socage, was obliged to do certain services for the lord. A middle class of tenants between servile and free, who held their freedom of tenure on condition of performing certain services. Said to be the same as the conditionalee. Cowell.
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