Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Heir
Heir
(âr)
, Noun.
[OE.
heir
, eir
, hair
, OF. heir
, eir
, F. hoir
, L. heres
; of uncertain origin. Cf. Hereditary
, Heritage
.] 1.
One who inherits, or is entitled to succeed to the possession of, any property after the death of its owner; one on whom the law bestows the title or property of another at the death of the latter.
I am my father’s
heir
and only son. Shakespeare
2.
One who receives any endowment from an ancestor or relation;
as, the
. heir
of one's reputation or virtuesAnd I his
heir
in misery alone. Pope.
Heir apparent
. (Law.)
See under
– Apparent
. Heir at law
, one who, after his ancector's death, has a right to inherit all his intestate estate.
Wharton (Law Dict.).
– Heir presumptive
, one who, if the ancestor should die immediately, would be his heir, but whose right to the inheritance may be defeated by the birth of a nearer relative, or by some other contingency.
Heir
,Verb.
T.
To inherit; to succeed to.
[R.]
One only daughter
heired
the royal state. Dryden.
Webster 1828 Edition
Heir
HEIR
,Noun.
are.
1.
The man who succeeds, or is to succeed another in the possession of lands, tenements and hereditaments, by descent; the man on whom the law casts an estate of inheritance by the death of the ancestor or former possessor; or the man in whom the title to an estate of inheritance is vested by the operation of law, on the death of a former owner.We give the title to a person who is to inherit after the death of an ancestor, and during his life, as well as to the person who has actually come into possession. A man's children are his heirs. In most monarchies,the king's eldest son is heir to the throne; and a nobleman's eldest son is heir to his title.
Lo, one born in my house is my heir. Gen.15.
2.
One who inherits, or takes from an ancestor. The son is often heir to the disease, or to the miseries of the father.3.
One who succeeds to the estate of a former possessor. Jer.49. Mic.1.4.
One who is entitled to possess. In Scripture, saints are called heirs of the promise, heirs of righteousness, heirs of salvation, &c., by virtue of the death of Christ, or of God's gracious promises.Heir-presumptive, one who, if the ancestor should die immediately, would be heir, but whose right of inheritance may be defeated by any contingency, as by the birth of a nearer relative.
HEIR
,Verb.
T.
are.