Pronounced: poe-CHEESE-moh, noun
Notes: I have not run across this word
Yesterday’s phrase
The phrase dead hand means
- an inalienable possession of property by a church or corporation
- the oppressive influence of the past
First usage
Our phrase came into English in the 1300s
Background / Comments
Our phrase came from the Middle English phrase dede hond, which is a translation of the Old French word mortemain. In fact, a synonym of our phrase is the word “mortmain”. Our phrase (and the word “mortmain”) are used in law to describe property that is left to a church or company in perpetuity.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 