gavelkind: Meaning and Definition of

gav•el•kind

Pronunciation: (gav'ul-kīnd"), [key]
— n. Eng. Law.
  1. (originally) a tenure of land in which the tenant was liable for a rental in money or produce rather than for labor or military service.
  2. a customary system of land tenure whose chief feature was equal division of land among the heirs of the holder.
  3. the land so held.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.