# escheat

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɪsˈt͡ʃiːt/

## Definitions
1. The return of property of a deceased person to the state (originally to a feudal lord) where there are no legal heirs or claimants.
2. The property so reverted.
3. Plunder, booty.
4. That which falls to one; a reversion or return.

## Etymology
From Middle English eschete, from Anglo-Norman escheat, Old French eschet, escheit, escheoit (“that which falls to one”), from the past participle of escheoir (“to fall”), from Vulgar Latin *excadēre, from Latin ex + cadere (“fall”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/escheat