| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
primogeniture (ˌpraɪməʊˈdʒɛnɪtʃə) ![]() | |
| —n | |
| 1. | the state of being a first-born |
| 2. | law Compare ultimogeniture the right of an eldest son to succeed to the estate of his ancestor to the exclusion of all others |
| [C17: from Medieval Latin prīmōgenitūra birth of a first child, from Latin prīmō at first + Late Latin genitūra a birth] | |
| primogenitary | |
| —adj | |
A system of inheritance in which land passes exclusively to the eldest son. Until the Industrial Revolution, this system severely restricted the freedom of younger sons, who were often forced into the military or the clergy to earn a living.