escheat

/ɪsˈt͡ʃiːt/

Etymology

From Middle English escheat, achete, eschete (“the reversion or conversion of property to the government”), from Anglo-Norman eschete and Old French eschet, escheit, escheoit (“that which falls to one”), past participle of escheoir (“to fall”) (modern French échoir), from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”). Doublet of cheat.

Why this word is great

ESCHEAT — [Noun, Verb] The reversion of property to the state or a feudal lord upon the owner's death without legal heirs or claimants, or the act of transferring such property. From Middle English escheat, from Anglo-Norman eschete and Old French eschet, escheit ("that which falls to one"), from escheoir ("to fall"), from Late Latin *excadēre ("fall away"), from Latin ex- ("out") + cadere ("to fall"). Unlike "confiscate" (which carries the sting of punishment) or "inheritance" (which promises continuity), escheat is the legal sigh of a line extinguished. It is the unclaimed farmhouse sinking into weeds, the rusted pocket watch forgotten in a courthouse vault, the bank account quietly dissolving into public coffers—a reminder that all things, even ownership, are borrowed against time.

noun

The return, conversion, or vesting of property of a deceased person or closed business to the government (originally to a feudal lord) where there are no legal heirs or claimants. It is known as bona vacantia in the United Kingdom.
The property so reverted.
Plunder, booty.“Approching, with bold words and bitter threat, / Bad that same boaster, as he mote, on high / To leaue to him that Lady for excheat, / Or bide him battell without further treat.”
That which falls to one; a reversion or return.“And by my ruines thinkes to make them great: / To make one great by others losse, is bad excheat”

verb

To put (land, property) in escheat; to confiscate.“Arms are very rigidly controlled in Scotland by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. […] Under an Act of 1592, Lyon King of Arms can escheat to the Sovereign all goods unlawfully displaying arms.”
To revert, convert, or vest ownership to the government or lord because its previous owner died without an heir or a business closed and no one claims the assets.