Entail
WordNet
noun
(1) The act of entailing property; the creation of a fee tail from a fee simple
(2) Land received by fee tail
verb
(3) Limit the inheritance of property to a specific class of heirs
(4) Impose, involve, or imply as a necessary accompaniment or result
"What does this move entail?"
(5) Have as a logical consequence
"The water shortage means that we have to stop taking long showers"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From from entaille, French, an incision, from ; prefix en- Latin + ; late Latin feudum talliatum a fee entailed, i. e., curtailed or limited.
Noun
- That which is entailed. Hence:
- An estate in fee entailed, or limited in descent to a particular class of issue.
- The rule by which the descent is fixed.
- A power of breaking the ancient entails, and of alienating their estates. — David Hume.
- Delicately carved ornamental work; intaglio.
- A work of rich entail. — Edmund Spenser.
Verb
- To imply or require.
- This activity will entail careful attention to detail.
- To settle or fix inalienably on a person or thing, or on a person and his descendants or a certain line of descendants; -- said especially of an estate; to bestow as an heritage.
- Allowing them to entail their estates. — David Hume.
- I here entail The crown to thee and to thine heirs forever. — Shakespeare
- To appoint hereditary possessor.
- To entail him and his heirs unto the crown. — Shakespeare
- To cut or carve in a ornamental way.
- Entailed with curious antics. — Edmund Spenser.