curtesy
/ˈkɜrtəsi/
noun
- In law, the right of a husband to inherit his deceased wife's property if they had a child who could inherit.
- Under old English law, curtesy gave a husband rights to his wife's land if they had a living child.
- The lawyer explained that curtesy no longer applies in most modern legal systems.
- The widower claimed curtesy over the estate after his wife passed away.