Word Study
intestate
CIDE DICTIONARY
intestate, a. [L. intestatus; pref. in- not + testatus, p. p. of testari to make a will: cf. F. intestat. See Testament.].
- Without having made a valid will; without a will; as, to die intestate. Blackstone. [1913 Webster]"Airy succeeders of intestate joys." [1913 Webster]
- Not devised or bequeathed; not disposed of by will; as, an intestate estate. [1913 Webster]
intestate, n.
A person who dies without making a valid will. Blackstone. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
intestate, adj. & n.
--adj. (of a person) not having made a will before death.
--n. a person who has died intestate.
--adj. (of a person) not having made a will before death.
--n. a person who has died intestate.
Derivative
intestacy n.
Etymology
ME f. L intestatus (as IN-(1), testari testat- make a will f. testis witness)
ROGET THESAURUS
intestate
Obliteration
N obliteration, erasure, rasure, cancel, cancellation, circumduction, deletion, blot, tabula rasa, effacement, extinction, obliterated, out of print, printless, leaving no trace, intestate, unrecorded, unregistered, unwritten, Int, dele, out with it!, delenda est Carthago.For further exploring for "intestate" in Webster Dictionary Online