Abeyance

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /əˈbeɪ.É™nts/, /əˈbeɪ.É™ns/

Origin

First attested in 1528. From Anglo-Norman abeiance ("legal expectation"), from Old French abeance ("desire") from abeër ("to gape at, aspire after"), abaer, abair ("to desire"), from a ("to") + baër ("gape"),

American Heritage 1971|page=3

bair ("yawn"), from Medieval Latin batō ("to yawn")

MW3 1976|page=3

CDOE|page=2

.

Full definition of abeyance

Noun

1. (legal) Expectancy; condition of ownership of real property being undetermined; lapse in succession of ownership of estate, or title. Late 16^th century

1. The proceeds of the estate shall be held in abeyance in an escrow account until the minor reaches age twenty-one.
• When there is no person in existence in whom an inheritance (or a dignity) can vest, it is said to be in abeyance. -Blackstone
2. Suspension; temporary suppression; dormant condition. Mid 17^th century
• 2003, Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, BCA 2003, page 376:Without a plausible explanation for what might have provoked an ice age, the whole theory fell into abeyance.
3. (heraldry) Expectancy of a title, its right in existence but its exercise suspended.The broad pennant of a commodore first class has been in abeyance since 1958, together with the rank.