Decess

/dɪˈsɛs/ noun

Definition

Death or departure (an archaic or legal term, especially in Scottish law).

Etymology

From Latin decessus (departure, death), from decedere (to depart, die), combining de- (away) and cedere (to go, yield). The term survives in legal documents.

Kelly Says

Scottish property lawyers still use 'decess' in formal documents—while most English speakers switched to 'death,' this Latin word embedded itself so deeply in Scottish legal language that it refused to die.

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