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Simple English definitions for legal terms
disme
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A quick definition of disme:
A disme is a tenth part of something, like a tithe that was once paid to the clergy. It is also the old spelling of the American 10-cent piece, the dime. Plural form is dismes.
Decimae is a Latin word that means "tenth." In Ecclesiastical law, it refers to the tenth part of the annual profits of a benefice originally payable to the Pope, and later to the Crown. It can also mean tithes paid to the church, often in grain or wool.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: A disme is a tithe or a tenth part of something, such as the annual profits of a benefice or spiritual livings. It was once the spelling of the American 10-cent piece, the dime.
Examples:
- Under the statute 25 Edw. 3, st. 7, the clergy were entitled to a disme or a tenth part of all spiritual livings.
- In the past, the disme was payable to the Pope or later to the Crown as a tenth part of the annual profits of a benefice.
- The American 10-cent piece, the dime, was once spelled as disme.
The examples illustrate that a disme is a tenth part of something, whether it is the annual profits of a benefice or the value of a coin. The term is derived from Law French and is often used in the context of tithes paid to the church.