deodand

noun

1. An object forfeited to the state (and supposedly to God) because it had caused the death of a person.

   historical

   Really, it’s hard not to wonder whether some current civil forfeiture practices represent much less than a revival of the archaic common-law deodand.

2. A fine equal to the value of this object, paid by the owner of the object.

   historical

Where it comes from

From Anglo-Norman deodande, from Latin deodandum, from Deo dandum (“to be given to God”).

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry deodand (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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