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 purposes2: the influence of the past regarded as controlling the present