Nearby Words

Heirless

[air] Origin

heir

[air]
noun
1.
a person who inherits or has a right of inheritance in the property of another following the latter's death.
2.
Law.
a.
(in common law) a person who inherits all the property of a deceased person, as by descent, relationship, will, or legal process.
b.
Civil Law. a person who legally succeeds to the place of a deceased person and assumes the rights and obligations of the deceased, as the liabilities for debts or the possessory rights to property.
3.
a person who inherits or is entitled to inherit the rank, title, position, etc., of another.
4.
a person or group considered as inheriting the tradition, talent, etc., of a predecessor.
verb (used with object)
5.
Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. to inherit; succeed to.

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Heirless is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

Origin:
1225–75; Middle English eir, heir < Old French < Latin hērēd- (stem of hērēs); akin to Greek chêros bereaved

heir·less, adjective

air, e'er, ere, err, heir.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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World English Dictionary
heir (ɛə)
 
n
1.  civil law the person legally succeeding to all property of a deceased person, irrespective of whether such person died testate or intestate, and upon whom devolves as well as the rights the duties and liabilities attached to the estate
2.  any person or thing that carries on some tradition, circumstance, etc, from a forerunner
3.  an archaic word for offspring
 
[C13: from Old French, from Latin hērēs; related to Greek khēros bereaved]
 
'heirless
 
adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

heir
late 13c., from Anglo-Fr. heir, from O.Fr. hair, from L. heres (gen. heredis) "heir, heiress" (see heredity). Heir apparent (late 14c.) has the French order of noun-adj., though it was not originally so in English. It is the heir of one still alive whose right is clear.
EXPAND
After death the heir apparent becomes the heir-at-law.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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