entail

Meanings

Verb

• To imply or require.
• To settle or fix inalienably on a person or thing, or on a person and his descendants or a certain line of descendants; -- said especially of an estate; to bestow as a heritage.
• To appoint hereditary possessor.
• To cut or carve in an ornamental way.

Noun

• That which is entailed. Hence:
• Delicately carved ornamental work; intaglio.

Origin

• From Middle English entaillen, from Old French entaillier, entailler; from prefix en- + tailler, from Late Latin taliare, from Latin talea. Compare late Latin feudum talliatum.
• From Middle English entaille, from Old French entaille, from the verb entailler. See above.