curtesy
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cur·te·sy
(kûr′tĭ-sē)n. pl. cur·te·sies
The life tenure that by common law is held by a man over the property of his deceased wife if children with rights of inheritance were born during the marriage.
[Middle English courtesie; see courtesy.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
curtesy
(ˈkɜːtəsɪ)n
the tenure that a widower holds over the property of his deceased wife
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cur•te•sy
(ˈkɜr tə si)n., pl. -sies.
the life tenure formerly enjoyed by a husband in his wife's land inheritance after her death, provided they had issue able to inherit.
[1515–25; variant of courtesy]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.