curtesy Hear it!

curtesy definition

cur·tesy (kʉrt′ə sē)

noun pl. curtesies -·sies

the life interest which a husband acquires in the lands of his wife upon her death, provided they have children capable of inheriting: curtesy has been altered or abolished by statute in many U.S. states and in England

Etymology: var. of courtesy

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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