advancement

ad·vance·ment   (ād-vāns'mənt)    n.   A forward step; an improvement. Development; progress: the advancement of knowledge. A promotion, as in rank. The act of moving forward. See Usage Note at advance.

Main Entry: ad·vance·ment
Function: noun
: something given in advance; specifically : money or property given as a gift by a living person (as by a parent to a child) with the intention that the amount the recipient inherits under the law from the person's estate will be reduced proportionately —compare ADEMPTION
NOTE: Advancements apply only when the person making the gift dies without a will. The Uniform Probate Code requires written evidence that the gift was intended to be an advancement. A person who gives a gift that is not intended as an advancement cannot later change it to an advancement. A gift given as an advancement can, however, be changed into an outright gift.

Main Entry: ad·vance·ment
Pronunciation: &d-'van(t)-sm&nt
Function: noun
: detachment of a muscle or tendon from its insertion andreattachment (as in the surgical correction of strabismus) at a more advanced point from its insertion advancement>

advancement ad·vance·ment (ād-vāns'mənt)
n.
A surgical procedure in which a tendinous insertion or a skin flap is severed from its attachment and is sutured to a further point on the body.