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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  • MATELOTAGE
    In French law. The hire of a ship or boat
  • MATER-FAMILIAS
    Lat. In the civil law. The mother or mistress of a family. A chaste woman, married or single. Calvin.
  • MATERIA
    Lat. In the civil law. Materials; as distinguished from species, or the form given by labor and skill. Dig. 41, 1, 7, 7-12 ; Fleta. lib. 3, c. 2, ? 14. Materials (wood) for building, as distinguished from "lignum" Dig. 32, 55, pr. In English law. Matter; substance; subject-matter. 3 More...
  • MATERIAL
    Important; more or less necessary; having influence or effect; going to the merits; having to do with matter, as distinguished from form. An allegation is said to be material when it forms a substantive part of the case presented by the pleading. Evidence offered in a cause, or a question More...
  • MATERIALITY
    The property or character of being material. See MATERIAL.
  • MATERIALS
    The substance or matter of which anything is made; matter furnished for the erection of a house, ship, or other structure; matter used or intended to be used in the construction of any mechanical product See Moyer v. Pennsylvania Slate Co., 71 Pa. 293.
  • MATERNA MATERNIS
    Lat. A maxim of the French law, signifying that property of a decedent acquired by him through his mother descends to the relations on the mother's side.
  • MATERNAL
    That which belongs to, or comes from, the mother; as maternal authority, maternal relation, maternal estate, maternal line. -Maternal property. That which comes from the mother of the party, and other ascendants of the maternal stock. Dom. Liv. Prel. t '3, s. 2, no. 12.
  • MATERNITY
    The character, relation, state, or condition of a mother.
  • MATERTERA
    Lat In the civil law! A maternal aunt; a mother's sister. Inst 3, 6, ;; Bract, fol. 68b. -Matertera magna. A great aunt: a grandmother's sister, (aviss soror) Dig. 38, 10, 10, 15.-Matertera major. A greater aunt; a t great-grandmother's sister, (proavice soror;) a father's or mother's great-aunt, (patris vel More...
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