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
  • FILE
    v. In practice. To put upon the flies, or deposit in the custody or among the records of a court. "Filing a bill" in equity is an equivalent expression to "commencing a suit." "To file" a paper, on the part of a party, is to place it in the official More...
  • FILEINJAID
    Brit. A name given to villeins in the laws of Hoel Dda. Barring. Obs. St. 302.
  • FILIATE
    To fix a bastard child on some one, as its father. To declare whose child it is. 2 W. Bl. 1017. Filiatio non potest probari. Co. Litt. 126. Filiation cannot be proved.
  • FILIATION
    The relation of a child to its parent; correlative to "paternity." o The judicial assignment of an illegitimate child to a designated man as its father. In tbe civil law. The descent of son or daughter, with regard to his or her father, mother, and their ancestors.
  • FILICETUM
    In old English law. A ferny or bracky ground: a place where fern grows. Co. Litt. 4b: Shep. Touch. 95.
  • FILIOLUS
    In old records. A godson. Spelman.
  • FILIUS
    Lat. A son; a child. A distinction was sometimes made, in the civil law, between "filii" and "liberi;" the latter word including grandchildren, (nepotes,) the former not. Inst. 1, 14, 5. But, according to Paulus and Julianus, they were of equally extensive import. Dig. 50, 10, 84; Id. 50, 16, More...
  • FILL
    To make full; to complete; to satisfy or fulfill; to possess and perform the duties of. The election of a person to an office constitutes the essence of his appointment; but the office cannot be considered as actually fitted until his acceptance, either express or implied. Johnston v. Wilson, 2 More...
  • FILLY
    A young mare; a female colt An indictment charging the theft of a "filly" is not sustained by proof ol the larceny of a "mare." Lunsford v. State, 3 Tex. App. 448, 28 Am. Rep. 414.
  • FILUM
    Lat. In old practice. A file; i. e., a thread or wire on which papers were strung, that being the ancient method W filing. An imaginary thread or line passing through the middle of a stream or road, as in the following phrases: -Filum aquas. A thread of water; a More...
Showing 5750 of 14636