mortuum vadium

noun

mor·​tu·​um va·​di·​um

ˈmȯrchəwəmˈvādēəm

: a mortgage agreement in early English law that gave possession of the mortgaged land and the use of its rents and profits to the mortgagee until such time as the mortgage was paid compare vivum vadium

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, literally, dead pledge

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!