abatorn.1
/əˈbeɪtə/, U.S. /əˈbeɪdər/ Law. Now chiefly historical.
A person who takes possession of land between the death of the owner and the accession of the legal heir. See abate v.2
ΘΚΠ
society > law > rule of law > lawlessness > specific offences > [noun] > illegal seizure or wrongful occupation > between death and legal accession > one who
abatorc1523
c1523 J. Rastell Expos. Terminorum Legum Anglorum sig. A.5/2 Yf one abate that is to sey enter after the deth of the husband & endow his wyff of more [th]an she ought to haue..the heyr shal shew how she was indowed by the abatour.
1569 J. Leslie Def. Honour Marie Quene of Scotl. ii. f. 69v The heire maye auoide all estates made by the dissesor or abatour, or anye other person whose estate ys by lawe defeated.
1629 E. Coke 1st Pt. Inst. Lawes Eng. 194 Where there bee two joynt Abators or Intruders which come in merely by wrong.
1641 Termes de la Ley 40 Where..a stranger enters the day of the death of the great grandfather, or abates after his death, the heire shall have this writ against such a disseisor or abator.
1768 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. III. 168 This entry of him is called an abatement, and he himself is denominated an abator.
1832 Edinb. Rev. 55 324 The abator, or wrongful occupier..had entered upon the lands.
1921 Harvard Law Rev. 34 611 Cases where the land descended from the disseisor himself and not from his feoffee,..or from an abator or intruder.
1992 Amer. Jrnl. Legal Hist. 36 80 It seems that Hunt entered as an abator, moving in before John Smith could enter after learning of his father's death.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
abatorn.2
/əˈbeɪtə/, U.S. /əˈbeɪdər/ Now rare.
= abater n.1
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > decrease or reduction in quantity, amount, or degree > [noun] > one who or that which decreases anything
shortener?1566
abater1583
abator1592
diminutive1596
reductivea1676
reducer1894
shrinker1921
1592 S. Daniel Complaynt of Rosamond in Delia sig. I2 Impiety of times, chastities abator.
1606 G. Chapman Sir Gyles Goosecappe iv. i. sig. H1 Painting is pure chastities abator.
1857 Daily Evening Bull. (San Francisco) 22 June The abators [of the house] pried the door open... The house was then torn down and removed piecemeal.
1873 Pharmacist 6 69 If we neglect to make use of the same, we are culpable as aiders, whereas it is our solemn duty toward suffering humanity to be the abators of this villainy.
1982 Arizona Law Rev. 24 91 Although the nuisance can be eliminated by the abator, unnecessary destruction will not be condoned.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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