Mortmain
Pronunciation : Mort"main`
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [F. mort, morte, dead + main hand; F. main- morte. See Mortal, and Manual.] (Law)
Definition : Defn: Possession of lands or tenements in, or conveyance to, dead hands, or hands that cannot alienate.
Note: The term was originally applied to conveyance of land made to ecclesiastical bodies; afterward to conveyance made to any corporate body. Burrill.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913