Word of the Day 9.23.08

abeyance

a·bey·ance (-bns)

n.

1. The condition of being temporarily set aside; suspension: held the plan in abeyance.

2. Law A condition of undetermined ownership, as of an estate that has not yet been assigned.

[Anglo-Norman, variant of Old French abeance, desire, from abaer, to gape at : a-, at (from Latin ad-; see ad-) + baer, to gape; see bay2.]

a·beyant adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Posted on September 23, 2008 by admin

Filed under Word of the Day | | No Comments »