▪ I. disseise, disseize, v.
(dɪsˈsiːz)
Forms: 4 disseyse (-ceyse, 4–5 desese), 5–6 dis-, dyssease, (5 dysease, 6 decess, disseaze, -eize), 6–7 disseyze, 6– disseise, disseize.
[ME. a. AF. disseisir, = OF. dessaisir to dispossess, f. des-, dis- 4 + saisir to put (one) in possession, to take possession of, to seize. In Pr. dessazir; med.L. dissazire, -sasire, -sasiare, also dissaisire, -seisire, -seisiare from OF.: see seize.]
1. trans. Law. To put out of actual seisin or possession; to dispossess (a person) of his estates, etc., usually wrongfully or by force; to oust. Const. of († from). Also refl.
| [1215 Magna Carta xxxix, Nullus liber homo capiatur vel imprisonetur aut disseisiatur [1217 inserts (c. xxxv) de libero tenemento suo vel libertatibus]..nisi per legale judicium parium suorum. 1292 Britton ii. xi. §2 Cestui est proprement disseisi qi a tort est engetté de acun tenement.] c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 250 Our kyng Sir Edward..Disseised him self of alle, ȝald it to Sir Jon. Bot Jon his homage salle mak or he be gon. 1357 Lay Folks Catech. 252 In case that we have..wittandly and willfalli gert our euen cristen..falsly be desesed of land or of lithe. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 7518 Of þair gudes falsly dissesid. 1494 Fabyan Chron vi. cxlix. 136 He..vexyd and dystourbed Ivore the duke and lorde of that countrey..lastly disceasyd hym of that lordeshyp. 1540 Act 32 Hen. VIII, c. 7. §7 Where..personnes..be dysseased, deforsed, wronged, or otherwyse put from their lawfull inheritance. 1628 Petit. to King in Rushw. Hist. Coll. (1659) I. 589 By the Statute called, The great Charter of the Liberties of England, It is declared and enacted; That no Freeman may be taken or imprisoned or be disseised of his Freeholds or Liberties, or his free Customs. 1641 [see disseisin 1]. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) I. 190 If a tenant in tail discontinues in fee, afterwards marries, disseises the discontinuee, and dies seised; his wife shall not have dower. 1819 I. Milner Milner's Hist. Ch. Christ (1824) IV. 115 Wicliff asserted that temporal lords and patrons had a right to disseize the church of her emoluments in case of misbehaviour. |
2. transf. and fig. a. To dispossess, deprive, rob; to deliver, rid (of anything).
| c 1320 Cast. Love 1088 He ne ouȝte from wo disseysed be. c 1450 Merlin 229 It shall here-after be declared how that she was discesed of the seint Graal. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. xi. 20 He [the Dragon] so disseized of his gryping grosse. 1602 Carew Cornwall 22 a, The Foxe planteth his dwelling in the steep cliffe..as in a maner it falleth out a matter impossible to disseyze him of this his ancient inheritance. 1700 Blackmore Job xxix. 17 My righteous hand broke fierce oppressors' jaws, And of their spoil disseiz'd their bloody paws. 1845 R. W. Hamilton Pop. Educ. x. (ed. 2) 266 We repeat our protest against all attempts to disseize parents of their rights in their children. |
† b. To oust, expel. Obs.
| 1627 May Lucan vii. 655 Through many wounds his life disseized, fled. 1675 Hobbes Odyssey xvi. 444 They..With gentle sleep their fear and care disseised. |
Hence disˈseised ppl. a., disˈseising vbl. n.
| 1475 Bk. Noblesse 48 The unmanly disseising and putting oute of Fraunce, Normandie, Angew, and Mayne. 1611 Cotgr., Desemparement, a disseising. 1675 tr. Machiavelli's Prince vii. (Rtldg. 1883) 50 All the disseized lords..he put to death. 1682 Enq. Elect. Sheriffs 18 If there be but the least flaw against them to countenance the dis-seizing them of their Rights. |
▪ II. disseise
obs. form of decease, disease.
| 1648 Symmons Vind. Chas. I, 98 The Honour of..our disseised Queen. |