Main Entry: mort·main

Pronunciation: \ˈmȯrt-ˌmān\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English morte-mayne, from Anglo-French mortmain, from morte (feminine of mort dead) + main hand, from Latin manus — more at manual

Date: 15th century

1 a : an inalienable possession of lands or buildings by an ecclesiastical or other corporation b : the condition of property or other gifts left to a corporation in perpetuity especially for religious, charitable, or public purposes
2 : the influence of the past regarded as controlling the present