the act of disposing of property, especially real property, by will.
b.
a will or clause in a will disposing of property, especially real property.
c.
the property so disposed of.
Origin: 1150–1200; (v.) Middle English devisen to inspect, design, compose < Old French deviser < Vulgar Latin *dēvīsāre, for *dīvīsāre, frequentative of Latin dīvidere to divide; (noun) see device
Related forms
de·vis·er, noun
pre·de·vise, verb (used with object), -vised, -vis·ing.
c.1300, from O.Fr. deviser "dispose in portions, arrange, plan, contrive," from V.L. *divisare, freq. of L. dividere "to divide" (see divide). Modern sense is from "to arrange a division" (especially via a will), a meaning present in the O.Fr. word.