chat·tel   (chāt'l)    n.   Law An article of movable personal property. A slave. [Middle English chatel, movable property, from Old French, from Medieval Latin capitāle; see cattle.]

Chattel

Chat"tel\, n. [OF. chatel; another form of catel. See Cattle.] (Law) Any item of movable or immovable property except the freehold, or the things which are parcel of it. It is a more extensive term than goods or effects.

Note: Chattels are personal or real: personal are such as are movable, as goods, plate, money; real are such rights in land as are less than a freehold, as leases, mortgages, growing corn, etc.

Chattel mortgage (Law), a mortgage on personal property, as distinguished from one on real property.

chattel 

Main Entry: chat·tel
Pronunciation: 'chat-^&l
Function: noun
Etymology: Old French chatel goods, property, from Medieval Latin capitale, from neuter of capitalis chief, principal —see CAPITAL
: an item of tangible or intangible personal property; especially : CHATTEL PERSONAL in this entry
NOTE: In some jurisdictions the term chattel is restricted to items of tangible and movable personal property. Other jurisdictions also classify intangible assets and property items as chattels.

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chattel personal
; plural chattels personal
: an item of tangible movable personal property (as livestock or an automobile) that is not permanently connected with real estate

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chattel real
; plural chattels real
: an interest (as a leasehold or profit a prendre) in an item of immovable property (as land or a building) that is less than a freehold estate —compare FIXTURE
NOTE: Interests that are considered chattels real have been treated by the common law as personal property despite being interests in real property.