mesne

mesne — I adjective coming between, interfering, interjacent, intermediary, intermediate, intervenient, intervening, mean, median, middle, transitional associated concepts: mesne attachment, mesne grant, mesne process, mesne profits II index intermediate …   Law dictionary

Mesne — (an Anglo French legal form of the O. Fr. meien, mod. moyen, mean, Med. Lat. medianus, in the middle, cf. mean ), middle or intermediate, an adjective used in several legal phrases. A mesne lord is a landlord who has tenants holding under him,… …   Wikipedia

Mesne — Mesne, a. [Cf. {Mean} intermediate.] (Law) Middle; intervening; as, a mesne lord, that is, a lord who holds land of a superior, but grants a part of it to another person, in which case he is a tenant to the superior, but lord or superior to the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

mesne — [mēn] adj. [Anglo Fr meen < OFr meien: see MEAN3] Law middle; intermediate; intervening: mesne profits are profits accruing from the time possession of land has been improperly withheld from its rightful owner until his or her reinstatement in …   English World dictionary

mesne — mesne; de·mesne; …   English syllables

mesne — (adj.) mid 15c., mean; altered spelling (by French influence) of Anglo Fr. meen mean (O.Fr. meien middle; see MEAN (Cf. mean) (adj.); also Cf. DEMESNE (Cf. demesne)) …   Etymology dictionary

mesne — adj. Law intermediate. Phrases and idioms: mesne lord hist. a lord holding an estate from a superior feudal lord. mesne process proceedings in a suit intervening between a primary and final process. mesne profits profits received from an estate… …   Useful english dictionary

Mesne — A kind of land tenure. Used as in mesne lord , indicating a lord holding land of another who was superior. This arrangement was known as * subinfeudation . [< mesne = intermediate, between, i.e. neither a great lord nor a serf.] Cf. Demesne …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

mesne — /miyn/ Intermediate; intervening; the middle between two extremes, especially of rank or time. In feudal law, an intermediate lord; a lord who stood between a tenant and the chief lord; a lord who was also a tenant. As to mesne conveyance and… …   Black's law dictionary

mesne — adjective Etymology: Anglo French mesne, meiene more at mean Date: circa 1558 intermediate, intervening used in law …   New Collegiate Dictionary

mesne — /meen/, adj. Law. intermediate or intervening. [1350 1400; ME < AF, sp. var. of meen MEAN3] * * * …   Universalium