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abeyance

noun
/əˈbeɪ.ən(t)s/

Etymology

First attested in 1528. From Anglo-Norman abeiance (“legal expectation”), from Old French abeance (“desire”) from abeër (“to gape at, aspire after”), abaer, abair (“to desire”), from a (“to”) + baër (“to gape”), bair (“yawn”), from Medieval Latin batō (“to yawn”).

  1. derived from batō
  2. derived from abeance
  3. derived from abeiance

Definitions

  1. Expectancy

    Expectancy; a condition when an ownership of real property is undetermined; lapse in succession of ownership of estate, or title.

    • The proceeds of the estate shall be held in abeyance in an escrow account until the minor reaches age twenty-one.
    • Yet sometimes the fee may be in abeyance, that is (as the word signifies) in expectation, remembrance, and contemplation in law; there being no person in esse, in whom it can vest and abide […]
    • Note: Under the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 all territorial claims are held under abeyance in the interest of international co-operation for scientific purposes.

  2. Suspension

    Suspension; temporary suppression; dormant condition.

    • Without a plausible explanation for what might have provoked an ice age, the whole theory fell into abeyance.
    • [...] Prosser was instrumental in the decision in 2010 to recommence publication of an annual health and safety report, following a period when it had fallen into abeyance.
    • The palace had previously that the duke’s military appointments were in abeyance after he stepped down from public duties in 2019.

  3. Expectancy of a noble or armigeral title, its right in existence but its exercise…

    Expectancy of a noble or armigeral title, its right in existence but its exercise suspended.

    • The broad pennant of a commodore first class has been in abeyance since 1958, together with the rank.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for abeyance. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA