bequeath Meaning, Definition & Usage

verb leave or give by will after one's death
will; leave.
- My aunt bequeathed me all her jewelry
- My grandfather left me his entire estate

OE. biquethen, AS. becwean to say, affirm, bequeath; pref. be- + cwean to say, speak. See Quoth.

imperfect & past participle Bequeathed present participle & verbal noun Bequeathing

To give or leave by will; to give by testament; -- said especially of personal property.
My heritage, which my dead father did bequeath to me. Shak.
To hand down; to transmit.
To bequeath posterity somewhat to remember it. Glanvill.
To give; to offer; to commit. Obs.
To whom, with all submission, on my knee I do bequeath my faithful services And true subjection everlastingly. Shak.
Syn. -- To Bequeath, Devise. Both these words denote the giving or disposing of property by will. Devise, in legal usage, is property used to denote a gift by will of real property, and he to whom it is given is called the devisee. Bequeath is properly applied to a gift by will or legacy; i. e., of personal property; the gift is called a legacy, and he who receives it is called a legatee. In popular usage the word bequeath is sometimes enlarged so as to embrace devise; and it is sometimes so construed by courts.