In feudal law. The right of marriage, which the lord or guardian in chivalry had of disposing of his infant ward in matrimony. A guardian in socage had also the same right, but not attended with the same advantage. 2 Bl. Comm. 88. In Scotch, law. A certain sum due by the heir of a deceased ward vassal, when the heir became of marriageable age. Ersk. Inst. 2, 5, 18. … [Read more...]
AUTOMATIC STAY
An injunction automatically issued by the bankruptcy court when a debtor files for bankruptcy. The automatic stay prohibits most creditor collection activities, such as filing or continuing lawsuits, making written requests for payment, or notifying credit reporting bureaus of an unpaid debt. … [Read more...]
AVAILABLE MEANS
This phrase, among mercantile men, is a term well understood to be anything which can readily be converted into money; but it is not necessarily or primarily money itself. McFad den v. Leeka, 48 Ohio St 513, 28 N. E. 874; Benedict v. Huntington, 32 N. T. 224; Brig ham v. Tillinghast, 13 N. Y. 2ia … [Read more...]
AUTOMATIC WEAPON
A weapon that fires automatically and repeatedly while the trigger is held down so long as it still has ammunition. … [Read more...]
AVAILS
Profits, or proceeds. This word seems to have been construed only In reference to wills, and in them it means the corpus or proceeds of the estate after the payment of the debts. 1 Amer. & Eng. Enc. Law, 1039. See Allen v. De Witt, 3 N. T. 279; McNaughton t. McNaughton, 34 N. T. 201. … [Read more...]