▪ I. terce
(tɜːs)
Also 5 teirs, tairs, 7 tearce.
[A variant of tierce, now used in a special sense.]
1. Obsolete, archaic, or variant form of tierce, q.v. in various senses.
2. spec. in Sc. Law, A life-rent competent by law to a widow (unless she has accepted some other special provision) of the third of the heritable subjects in which her husband dies infeft, provided that the marriage has endured for a year and a day, or has produced a living child. Cf. dower n.2 1.
| 1473 in Laing Charters (1899) 43 The quhilk our teirs extendis ȝerly till viij markis. Ibid., Tairs. 1476 Acta Auditorum 19 July, Hir brefe of terce anent ye land of Lethbert. 1568 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 619 Thair subwassellis, ladiis of terce, conjunct fearis, and lyverentaris. 1597 Skene De Verb. Sign. s.v. Breve, The brieue of Terce. 1665 J. Fraser Polichronicon (S.H.S.) 197 Shee, haveing a tearce of the lordship, was well furnished..with all manner of provision. 1681 Sc. Acts Chas. II (1820) VIII. 247/2 (title) Act concerning wives Terces. 1752 J. Louthian Form of Process (ed. 2) 286 That Services of Relicts to their Terce pay one Half of special Services. 1868 Act 31 & 32 Vict. c. 101 §118 All rights of courtesy and terce competent to the husband or wife of any such creditor. |
b. attrib. terce land, the land of which the rent is assigned to a widow's terce (usu. in pl.).
| 1552 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 129 Spirituall menis landis, togidder with all waird landis, terce and conjunct fie landis. 1565 in J. Fraser Polichronicon (S.H.S.) 152 Item upon her terce lands of Lovat five oxen. 1581 Reg. Privy Council Scot. III. 409 Hir haill fermes of hir terce landis of Westraw. |
Hence ˈtercer († tiercear), a widow who has terce.
| c 1575 Balfour's Practicks (1754) 336 A Lady tiercear, or conjunct-fear, havand ane tierce or conjunct-fie of ward landis, or blanche landis. 1773 Erskine Instit. Laws Scot. ii. ix. §44 The widow [is hence styled] the tercer. 1808–25 Jamieson, Tercer, tiercer..a term still commonly used in our courts of law. |
▪ II. terce
var. tarse Obs.; obs. f. terse.