escheat (Law)
n
1 (in England before 1926) the reversion of property to the Crown in the absence of legal heirs
2 (in feudal times) the reversion of property to the feudal lord in the absence of legal heirs or upon outlawry of the tenant
3 the property so reverting
vb
4 to take (land) by escheat or (of land) to revert by escheat
(C14: from Old French eschete, from escheoir to fall to the lot of, from Late Latin excadere (unattested), from Latin cadere to fall)
♦
escheatable adj
♦
escheatage n