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

Category: D

DISSEISOR

One who puts another out of the possession of his lands wrongfully

DISTRAHERE

To sell; to draw apart; to dissolve a contract; to divorce. Calvin.

DISTRICT PARISHES

Ecclesiastical divisions of parishes in England, forall purposes of worship, and for the celebration of marriages, christenings, church- ings.and burials, formed at the instance of the queen’s commissioners for building newchurches. See

DIVERSION

A turning aside or altering the natural course of a thing. The term ischiefly applied to the unauthorized changing the course of a water-course to the prejudiceof a lower proprietor. Merritt v.

DIVISION

In English law. One of the smaller subdivisions of a county. Used in Lincolnshire as synonymous with “riding” in Yorkshire.

DOCKET

v. To abstract and enter in a book. 3 Bl. Comm. 397, 398. To make a briefentry of any proceeding in a court of justice in the docket

DOITKIN, or DOIT

A base coin of small value, prohibited by St. 3 Hen. V. c. 1. Westill retain the phrase, In the common saying, when we would undervalue a man, thathe is not worth

DOMESDAY, DOMESDAY – BOOK

(Sax.) An ancient record made in the time of William the Conqueror, and now remainingin the English exchequer, consisting of two volumes of unequal size, containing minuteand accurate surveys of the lands

DOMINICAL

That which denotes the Lord’s day, or Sunday.

DOMIT-iE

Lat. Tame; domesticated; not wild. Applied to domestic animals, in which a man may have an absolute property. 2 Bl. Comm. 391.

DONEE

In old English law. He to whom lands were given; the party to whom a donatio was made.In later law. He to whom lauds or tenements are given in tail. Litt.

DOTAL

Relating to the dos or portion of a woman ; constituting her portion ; comprised In her portion.

DOWER

The provision wBich the law makes for a widow out of the lauds or tenementsof her husband, for her support and the nurture of her children. Co. Litt. 30a;2 Bl. Comm. 130;

DRAFT

The common term for a bill of exchange; as being drawn by one person onanother. Hinnemann v. Rosenhack, 39 N. Y. 100; Douglass v. Wilkeson, 0 Wend. (N. Y.) 043.An order for

DRIFTLAND, DROFLAND, OR DRYFLAND

A Saxon word, signifying a tribute or yearly payment made by some tenants to the king,or their landlords, for driving their cattle through a manor to fairs or markets. Cowell.

DROIT DE GREFFE

In old French law. The right of selling various offices connected with the custody of judicial records or notarial acts. Steph.Leet. 354. A privilege of the French kings.

DROVE- STANCE

In Scotch law. A place adjoining a drove-road, for resting and refreshing sheep and cattle on their journey. 7 Bell. App. Cas. 53. 57.

DUE PROCESS OF LAW

Law in its regular course of administration through courts of justice. 3 Story, Const.264, 661. “Due process of law in each particular case means such an exercise of the powers of the

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