n. (Old Law) A feudal prerogative of the lord of the soil entitling him to lodging and food at his tenant's house. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sometimes he contrived, in deflance of the law, to live by coshering, that is to say, by quartering himself on the old tentants of his family, who, wretched as was their own condition, could not refuse a portion of their pittance to one whom they still regarded as their rightful lord. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Disherit. ] The act of disheriting, or debarring from inheritance; disinherison. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Disherited; p. pr. & vb. n. Disheriting. ] [ F. déshériter; pref. dés- (L. dis-) + hériter to inherit. See Inherit, and cf. Dusheir, Disinherit. ] To disinherit; to cut off, or detain, from the possession or enjoyment of an inheritance. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. desheritance. ] The act of disinheriting or state of being disinherited; disinheritance. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Law) One who puts another out of his inheritance. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Turk., fr. Ar. khatt a writing + sherīf noble. ] A irrevocable Turkish decree countersigned by the sultan. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Turk. sherī 'at ] The sacred law of the Turkish empire. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖‖ } n. [ Ar. sherīf noble, holy, n., a prince. ] A member of an Arab princely family descended from Mohammed through his son-in-law Ali and daughter Fatima. The Grand Shereef is the governor of Mecca. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. shereve, AS. scīr-ger&unr_;fa; scīr a shire + ger&unr_;fa a reeve. See Shire, and Reeve, and cf. Shrievalty. ] The chief officer of a shire or county, to whom is intrusted the execution of the laws, the serving of judicial writs and processes, and the preservation of the peace. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In England, sheriffs are appointed by the king. In the United States, sheriffs are elected by the legislature or by the citizens, or appointed and commissioned by the executive of the State. The office of sheriff in England is judicial and ministerial. In the United States, it is mainly ministerial. The sheriff, by himself or his deputies, executes civil and criminal process throughout the county, has charge of the jail and prisoners, attends courts, and keeps the peace. His judicial authority is generally confined to ascertaining damages on writs of inquiry and the like. Sheriff, in Scotland, called sheriff depute, is properly a judge, having also certain ministerial powers. Sheriff clerk is the clerk of the Sheriff's Court in Scotland. Sheriff's Court in London is a tribunal having cognizance of certain personal actions in that city. Wharton, Tomlins. Erskine. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ n. } The office or jurisdiction of sheriff. See Shrievalty. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A sheriff's deputy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Undershrievalty. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + sheriff. ] To depose from the office of sheriff. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]