heirloom

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: heir=loom

CIDE DICTIONARY

heirloom, n. [Heir + loom, in its earlier sense of implement, tool. See Loom the frame.].

 Any furniture, movable, or personal chattel, which by law or special custom descends to the heir along with the inheritance; any piece of personal property that has been in a family for several generations.  [1913 Webster]
"Woe to him whose daring hand profanes
The honored heirlooms of his ancestors."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

heirloom, n.
1 a piece of personal property that has been in a family for several generations.
2 a piece of property received as part of an inheritance.

Etymology

HEIR + LOOM(1) in the sense 'tool'

THESAURUS

heirloom

bequeathal, bequest, birthright, borough-English, coheirship, coparcenary, entail, gavelkind, heirship, hereditament, heritable, heritage, heritance, incorporeal hereditament, inheritance, law of succession, legacy, line of succession, mode of succession, patrimony, postremogeniture, primogeniture, reversion, succession, ultimogeniture

ROGET THESAURUS

heirloom

Property

N property, possession, suum cuique, meum et tuum, ownership, proprietorship, lordship, seignority, empire, interest, stake, estate, right, title, claim, demand, holding, tenure, vested interest, contingent interest, beneficial interest, equitable interest, use, trust, benefit, legal estate, equitable estate, seizin, seisin, absolute interest, paramount estate, freehold, fee tail, fee simple, estate in fee, estate in tail, estate tail, estate in tail male, estate in tail female, estate in tail general, limitation, term, lease, settlement, strict settlement, particular estate, estate for life, estate for years, estate pur autre vie, remainder, reversion, expectancy, possibility, dower, dowry, jointure, appanage, inheritance, heritage, patrimony, alimony, legacy, Falcidian law, paternal estate, thirds, assets, belongings, means, resources, circumstances, wealth, money, what one is worth, what one will cut up for, estate and effects, landed property, landed real estate property, realty, land, lands, tenements, hereditaments, corporeal hereditaments, incorporeal hereditaments, acres, ground, acquest, messuage, toft, territory, state, kingdom, principality, realm, empire, protectorate, sphere of influence, manor, honor, domain, demesne, farm, plantation, hacienda, allodium, fief, fieff, feoff, feud, zemindary, dependency, arado, merestead, ranch, free lease-holds, copy lease-holds, folkland, chattels real, fixtures, plant, heirloom, easement, right of common, right of user, personal property, personal estate, personal effects, personalty, chattels, goods, effects, movables, stock, stock in trade, things, traps, rattletraps, paraphernalia, equipage, parcels, appurtenances, impedimenta, luggage, baggage, bag and baggage, pelf, cargo, lading, rent roll, income, maul and wedges, patent, copyright, chose in action, credit, debt, one's own, landed, predial, manorial, allodial, free lease-hold, copy lease-hold, feudal, feodal, to one's credit, to one's account, to the good, to one and his heirs for ever, to one and the heirs of his body, to one and his heirs and assigns, to one and his executors administrators and assign.