chiefly historical <主史>
mass noun
1- the reversion of property to the state, or (in feudal law) to a lord, on the owner's dying without legal heirs（财产主人死后若无法定继承人）财产的转归国家（或领主）。
1.1
- count noun an item of property affected by this转归国家（或领主）的财产。
no obj.
1- (of land) revert to a lord or the state by escheat（土地）（因无法定继承人而）转归领主（或国家）。
1.1
- with obj. [usu. as adj. escheated] hand over (land) as an escheat使（无人继承之土地）转归国家（或领主）。
词源
Middle English: from Old French eschete, based on Latin excidere 'fall away', from ex- 'out of, from'+cadere 'to fal'.