deodand

[ dee-uh-dand ]

nounEnglish Law.

(before 1846) an animal or article that, having been the immediate cause of the death of a human being, was forfeited to the crown to be applied to pious uses.

Origin of deodand

1520–30; <Medieval Latin deōdandum (a thing) to be given to God <Latin deō to God (dative singular of deus) + dandum to be given (neuter gerund of dare to give)

Words Nearby deodand

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use deodand in a sentence

Probably because of the evident recklessness displayed by the coachman, a deodand of £1,400 was laid on the coach.
The Great North Road: London to York | Charles G. Harper
The verdict returned was "Accidental Death," with a deodand of five pounds upon the bull.
Trevlyn Hold | Mrs. Henry Wood
The jury imposed a deodand of £5 on the coach and £10 on the horses.
The Great North Road: London to York | Charles G. Harper
The bound volume was forfeited as a deodand, but not claimed.
The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table | Oliver Wendell Holmes
The old law of deodand was an expression of this feeling of resentment against inanimate objects even.
Concerning Justice | Lucilius A. Emery

British Dictionary definitions for deodand

deodand

/ (ˈdiːəʊˌdænd) /

noun

English law (formerly) a thing that had caused a person's death and was forfeited to the crown for a charitable purpose: abolished 1862

Origin of deodand

C16: from Anglo-French deodande, from Medieval Latin deōdandum, from Latin Deō dandum (something) to be given to God, from deus god + dare to give

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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