disseise

verb

dis·​seise (ˌ)di(s)-ˈsēz 

variants or disseize

disseised or disseized; disseising or disseizing

transitive verb

: to deprive especially wrongfully of seisin : dispossess

disseisor

(ˌ)di(s)-ˈsē-zər 

noun

Did you know?

Disseise, "seisin" ("the possession of land or chattels"), and "seize" are all 13th-century words derived from the Anglo-French word seisir, meaning "to put in possession of." That’s the original meaning of English "seize" as well. ("Seize" can also be spelled "seise" in that sense.) The Magna Carta (the great charter of liberties, originally written in Medieval Latin and signed in 1215) is perhaps the most frequently quoted use of the word disseise: "No free man shall be … disseised … except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land."

Word History

Etymology

Middle English disseisen, from Anglo-French disseisir, dis- + seisir to put in possession of — more at seize

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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Legal Definition

disseise

transitive verb

dis·​seise

variants or disseize

dis-ˈsēz 

disseised or disseized; disseising or disseizing

: to deprive of seisin wrongfully : unjustly dispossess

disseisor

-ˈsē-zər 

noun

Etymology

Anglo-French disseisir to dispossess, from Old French dessaisir, from des-, prefix marking reversal + saisir to put in possession of