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A tenure by which land descended from the father to all his sons in equal portions, and the land of a brother, dying without issue, descended equally to his brothers. It still prevails in the county of Kent. Cowell.

age lifetime of man, or the ordinary period of time at which one rank follows another, or father is succeeded by child, usually assumed to be one third of a century; an age. This is the book of the generations of Adam. Gen. v. 1. Ye shall remain there [in Babylon] many years, and for a long season, namely, seven genera…

Open-handed; free to give; not close or niggardly; munificent; as, a generous friend or father.

initive, and sometimes by with, introducing the cause or reason. A wise son maketh a glad father. Prov. x. 1. He that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished. Prov. xvii. 5. The Trojan, glad with sight of hostile blood. Dryden. He, glad of her attention gained. Milton. As we are now glad to behold your eyes. Shak…

A doxology (beginning Gloria Patri, Glory be to the Father), sung or said at the end of the Psalms in the service of the Roman Catholic and other churches.

ism, and whom he promises to see educated as a Christian; a godson or goddaughter. See Godfather.

A woman who becomes sponsor for a child in baptism. See Godfather

A male for whom one has stood sponsor in baptism. See Godfather.

a) Of no value; useless; worthless. (b) Used substantively, an idle, worthless person. My father always said I was born to be a good for nothing. Ld. Lytton. -- Good Friday, the Friday of Holy Week, kept in some churches as a fast, in memoory of our Savior's passion or suffering; the anniversary of the crucifixion. --…

A sponsor; a godfather or a godmother. Should a great lady that was invited to be a gossip, in her place send her kitchen maid, 't would be ill taken. Selden.

me more remote degree of parentage or descent; -- generalIy used in composition; as, grandfather, grandson, grandchild, etc. What cause Mov'd our grand parents, in that happy state, Favor'd of Heaven so highly, to fall off From their Creator. Milton. Grand action, a pianoforte action, used in grand pianos, in which spe…

The aunt of one's father or mother.

The mother of one's father or mother.

A grandfather.

Specifically, a grandfather; more generally, any ancestor.

father's or mother's uncle.

The mother of one's grandfather or grandmother.

rs. Of the several species of guardians, the first are guardians by nature. -- viz., the father and (in some cases) the mother of the child. Blockstone. Guardian ad litem ( (Law), a guardian appointed by a court of justice to conduct a particular suit. -- Guardians of the poor, the members of a board appointed or ele…

The relation between persons born of the same father or of the same mother, but not of both; as, a brother or sister of the half blood. See Blood, n., 2 and 4.

To furl; -- said of a sail. Totten. To hand down, to transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor; as, fables are handed down from age to age; to forward to the proper officer (the decision of a higher court); as, the Clerk of the Court of Appeals handed down its decision. -- To hand…