In feudal law, to revert property to a lord when the tenant dies without heirs; to forfeit land to the crown.
From 'en-' plus 'cheat,' which comes from Old French 'eschete' (forfeiture), from Latin 'excadere' (to fall away from). The legal meaning developed in medieval English property law.
Escheat law was a major source of feudal lord revenue—when a tenant died without heirs, the lord reclaimed the land, creating incentive for meticulous record-keeping of family lines.
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