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coverture

 - 3 dictionary results

cov⋅er⋅ture

  [kuhv-er-cher]
–noun
1. a cover or covering; shelter; concealment.
2. Law. the status of a married woman considered as under the protection and authority of her husband.
Use coverture in a Sentence
Origin:
1175–1225; ME < AF, OF. See covert, -ure
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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cov·er·ture   (kŭv'ər-chər, -chŏŏr')   
n.  

    1. A covering; a shelter.

    2. The state of being concealed; disguise.

  2. Law The status of a married woman under common law.


[Middle English, from Old French, from covert, covered; see covert.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: cov·er·ture
Pronunciation: 'k&-v&r-"chur, -ch&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Anglo-French, literally, shelter, covering, from Old French, from covert, past participle of covrir to cover
: the inclusion of a woman in the legal person of her husband upon marriage under common law
NOTE: Because of coverture, married women formerly did not have the legal capacity to hold their own property or contract on their own behalf. These disabilities have been removed for the most part by statute.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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