# abeyance
## English
### Etymology

First attested in 1528. From Anglo-Norman abeiance (“legal expectation”), from Old French abeance (“desire”) from abeër (“to gape at, aspire after”), abaer, abair (“to desire”), from a (“to”) + baër (“to gape”), bair (“yawn”), from Medieval Latin batō (“to yawn”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /əˈbeɪ.əns/
* Audio:(file)
* Audio (Canada):(file)

### Noun

abeyance (countable and uncountable, plural abeyances)
* (law) Expectancy; a condition when an ownership of real property is undetermined; lapse in succession of ownership of estate, or title. [Late 16th century]
    The proceeds of the estate shall be held in abeyance in an escrow account until the minor reaches age twenty-one.
** 1765, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England:Yet sometimes the fee may be in abeyance, that is (as the word signifies) in expectation, remembrance, and contemplation in law; there being no person in esse, in whom it can vest and abide […]
** 1985 [1967], John Bartholomew & Son Limited, “Antarctica”, in The Times Atlas of the World, 7th comprehensive edition, Times Books Limited, →ISBN, plate 123:Note: Under the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 all territorial claims are held under abeyance in the interest of international co-operation for scientific purposes.
* Suspension; temporary suppression; dormant condition. [Mid 17th century]
** 2003, Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, BCA, page 376:Without a plausible explanation for what might have provoked an ice age, the whole theory fell into abeyance.
** 2020 July 29, Ian Prosser discusses with Paul Stephen, “Rail needs robust and strategic plans”, in Rail, page 40:[...] Prosser was instrumental in the decision in 2010 to recommence publication of an annual health and safety report, following a period when it had fallen into abeyance.
** 2022 January 13, Ben Quinn, “Queen strips Prince Andrew of military roles and royal patronages”, in The Guardian‎:The palace had previously that the duke’s military appointments were in abeyance after he stepped down from public duties in 2019.
* Expectancy of a noble or armigeral title, its right in existence but its exercise suspended.
    The broad pennant of a commodore first class has been in abeyance since 1958, together with the rank.

#### Derived terms

* abeyancy
* in abeyance

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### References

* ↑ William Morris, editor (1969 (1971 printing)), “abeyance”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, New York, N.Y.: American Heritage Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 3.
* ↑ Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN), page 3
* ↑ Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], →ISBN), page 2
* 1 2 Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abeyance”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 4.