Deforceor

/dɪˈfɔːrsər/ noun

Definition

A person who unlawfully seizes or withholds another's property, especially land.

Etymology

From deforce + -or (agent noun). This archaic legal term names the person committing deforcement, prominent in medieval English property disputes.

Kelly Says

A deforceor in medieval England was often a powerful local figure because ordinary people couldn't effectively contest wrongful seizure—the courts were expensive, slow, and favored the already powerful.

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