in·tes·tate

[in-tes-teyt, -tit]
adjective
1.
(of a person) not having made a will: to die intestate.
2.
(of things) not disposed of by will: Her property remains intestate.
noun
3.
a person who dies intestate.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin intestātus, equivalent to in- in-3 + testātus testate

Can be confused: interstate, intestate, intrastate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
intestate (ɪnˈtɛsteɪt, -tɪt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—adj
1.  a.  (of a person) not having made a will
 b.  (of property) not disposed of by will
 
—n
2.  a person who dies without having made a will
 
[C14: from Latin intestātus, from in-1 + testātus, from testārī to bear witness, make a will, from testis a witness]
 
in'testacy
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Intestate is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

intestate
late 14c., from L. intestatus "having made no will," from in- "not" + testatus, pp. of testari "make a will, bear witness" (see testament).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
The intestate succession law approximates the likely intent of an intestate decedent.
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