M Legal definitions for terms and concepts beginning with M Mortgage An interest given on a piece of land, in writing, to guarantee the payment of a debt or the execution of some action. Mortgagee The person who extends credit secured by a mortgage; the mortgage lender. Mortgagor The person who borrows money secured by conceding a mortgage against his interest in real property. Mortis Omnia Solvit Latin: Death puts an end to everything. Mortmain French: dead hand. Property taken out of circulation. Mortmain Statutes Statutes of ancient English law which prevented the transfer of real property to or from corporations in general, or to or from religious corporations in particular. Mosaic Law Ancient law as set out in the first five books of the Bible (Old Testament). Motion A proposal made to a Court or at a meeting and intended to be considered and decided upon. Motion to Strike A motion put to the Court to strike a pleading or evidence of a witness. Motorcycle A motor vehicle with two wheels in the same plane designed to convey people. Motor Vehicle A self-propelled contrivance designed for the carriage of persons or things. MOU Abbreviation of Memorandum of Understanding. A document intended to become a contract but which, if meeting other criteria, can be recognized, in law, as a contract. Movable Civil law: things not attached to land and which may be carried from place to place. Mujtahid A scholar of Muslim lawyer. Multiculturalism A doctrine of state policy of active encouragement and support of the co-existence of multiple cultures within a same territory. Multi-level Marketing A system for selling products in which participants get paid for selling products to other participants who, in turn, are paid for selling the same products to yet more participants. Murder Intentional homicide (the taking of another person’s life), without legal justification or provocation. Muslim Muslim law: any person who professes as a religion, that there is but one God and that Mohammad is the prophet of that God. Muslim Law The body of law derived from the Koran and other recorded sayings of the Muslim prophet Muhammad (570-632). Muta Muslim law: a temporary marriage; for a fixed period. Mutatis Mutandis Latin: with changes on points of detail. Mutilation To render a thing imperfect by cutting off or destroying a part. Mutual Combat A fight into which both parties enter willingly, or in which two persons, upon a sudden quarrel, and in hot blood, mutually fight upon equal terms. Myocardial Infarction Permanent damage caused to the middle layer, the heart muscle, usually by sudden obstruction of blood flow. Myocardium The cardiac muscle at the middle layer of the heart. Mystic Will A sealed and secret will requiring strict formalities and available only in limited civil law jurisdictions. Page1 (M - Me) | Page2 (Me - Mo) | Page3 (Mo - My) Find you are constantly looking up definitions? Try our search provider (works in most modern browsers) If you find an error or omission in Duhaime's Legal Dictionary, or if you have legal term suggestion, we'd love to hear from you!