Past tense of devest; stripped or divested of clothing, authority, or property.
From Middle English devesten, from Old French devester, from de- (reversal) + vester (to clothe). The meaning evolved from literal removal of garments to metaphorical removal of rights, titles, or possessions.
Devest is an old legal term that appears in historical documents about transferring property—you'll find it in medieval court records where nobles would formally 'devest' themselves of lands. The word almost sounds like 'divest' because they're etymological cousins, both meaning to take something away.
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