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

DOWER DE LA PLUIS BELLE

L. Fr. Dower of the fairest [part.] A species of ancientEnglish dower, incident to the old tenures, where there was a guardian in chivalry, andthe wife occupied lands of the heir as

DOWER EX ASSENSU PATRIS

Dower by the father’s assent. A species of dower ad ostium ecelcsiw, madewhen the husband’s father was alive, and the son, by his consent expressly given,endowed his wife with parcel of his

DOWMENT

In old English law. Endowment; dower. Grogan v. Garrison, 27 Ohio St. 61.

DOWRESS

A woman entitled to dower ; a tenant in dower. 2 P. Wms. 707.

DOWRY

The property which a woman brings to her husband In marriage; now more commonly called a “portion.”By dowry is meant the effects which the wife brings to the husband to support the

DOZEIN

L. Fr. Twelve; a person twelve years of age. St. 18 Edw. II.; Barring. Ob. St. 20S.

DOZEN PEERS

Twelve peers assembled at the instance of the barons, In the reign of Henry III., to be privy counselors, or rather conservators of the kingdom.

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

DRACO REGIS

The standard, ensign, or military colors borne in war by the ancientkings of England, having the figure of a dragon painted thereon.

DRACONIAN LAWS

A code of laws prepared by Draco, the celebrated lawgiver ofAthens. These laws were exceedingly severe, and the term is now sometimes applied toany laws of unusual harshness.

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

DRAFTSMAN

Any one who draws or frames a legal document, e. g., a will, conveyance, pleading, etc.

DRAGOMAN

An Interpreter employed In the east, and particularly at the Turkish court.

DRAIN

v. To make dry; to draw off water; to rid land of its superfluous moisture byadapting or improving natural watercourses and supplementing them, when necessary,by artificial ditches. People v. Parks, 58 Cal.

DRAM

In common parlance, this term means a drink of some substance containingalcohol, something which can produce intoxication. Lacy v. State, 32 Tex. 228.

DRAMATIC COMPOSITION

In copyright law. A literary work setting forth a story,incident, or scene from life, in which, however, the narrative Is not related, but isrepresented by a dialogue and action; may Include a

DRAW

n. 1. A movable section of a bridge, which may be raised up or turned toone side, so as to admit the passage of vessels. Gildersleeve v. Railroad Co. (D. C.) 82Fed.

DRAWBACK

In the customs laws, this term denotes an allowance made by the governmentupon the duties due on imported merchandise when the importer, instead ofselling it here, re-exports it; or the refunding of

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