Your Free Online Legal Dictionary • Featuring Black’s Law Dictionary, 2nd Ed.

Category: D

DISPOSABLE PORTION

That portion of a man’s property which he is free to disposeof by will to beneficiaries other than his wife and children. By the ancient common law,this amounted to one-third of his

DISSEISEE

One who is wrongfully put out of possession of his lands; one who is disseised.

DISTRACTIO

Lat. In the civil law. A separation or division into parts; also analienation or sale. Sometimes applied to the act of a guardian in appropriating the property of his ward.

DISTRICT

One of the portions into which an entire state or country may be divided,for judicial, political, or administrative purposes.The United States are divided into judicial districts, in each of which is established

DITES OUSTER

L. Fr. Say over. The form of awarding a respotideas ouster, in the l’ear Books, M. 6 Edw. III. 49.

DIVISIBLE

That which is susceptible of being divided.

DOCKAGE

A charge against vessels for the privilege of mooring to the wharves or inthe slips. People v. Roberts, 92 Cal. 659, 2S l’ac. 6S9. A pecuniary compensation for theuse of a dock

DOMAIN

The complete and absolute ownership of land; a paramount and individualright of property in land. People v. Shearer, 30 Cal. 658. Also the real estate so owned. The inherent sovereign power claimed

DOMINANT TENEMENT

A term used in the civil and Scotch law, and thence in ours,relating to servitudes, meaning the tenement or subject in favor of which the service isconstituted ; as the tenement over

DOMINUS

In feudal and ecclesiastical law. A lord, or feudal superior. Dominus rex,the lord the king; the king’s title as lord paramount. 1 Bl. Comm. 307. Dominuscapitalis, a chief lord. Dominus mcdius, a

DONATORIUS

A donee; a person to whom a gift is made; a purchaser. Bract fol. 13, et seq.

DOS RATIONABILIS

A reasonable marriage portion. A reasonable part of her husband’s estate, to which every widow is entitled, of lauds of which her husband may haveendowed her on the day of marriage. Co.

DOUBLE EAGLE

A gold coin of the United States of the value of twenty dollars.

DOW ABLE

Subject to be charged with dower ; as dowable lands. Entitled or entitling to dower. Thus, a dowable interest in lands is such as entitles the owner to have such lands charged

DR

An abbreviation for “doctor;” also, in commercial usage, for “debtor,” Indicatingthe items or particulars in a bill or in an account-book chargeable against the person towhom the bill is rendered or in

DREIT-DREIT

Droit-droit. Double right. A union of the right of possession and the right of property. 2 Bl. Comm. 199.

DROIT DE BRIS

A right formerly claimed by the lords of the coasts of certain partsof France, to shipwrecks, by which not only the property, but the persons of those whowere cast away, were confiscated

DROP

In English practice. When the members of a court are equally divided on theargument showing cause against a rule nisi, no order Is made, i. e., the rule is neitherdischarged nor made

DRY WEIGHT

In tariff laws, this term docs not mean the weight ofan article after desiccation in a kiln, but its air-dry weight as understood in commerce.U. S. v. Perkins, G6 Fed. 50. 13

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