TEN

7 definitions found across Law Mind sources

TENAuthored
The Law Mind • 742 words
Definition
"Ten" as a standalone legal term does not carry independent doctrinal weight. In legal contexts, it appears almost exclusively as a prefix root — most significantly in **tenancy** and its related forms (tenant, tenement, tenure) — or as a numeral in statutory and contractual provisions where its ordinary meaning (the number 10) controls. The fragment preserved in Burrill under this headword is not a definition of "ten" itself but rather a passage concerning **tenancy in common**, describing how two or more persons may hold the same land with interests arising under different titles, at different times, or through words of limitation importing distinct shares. This confirms that Burrill's entry functions as an anchor point or cross-reference to the tenancy cluster rather than a self-contained definition of a term called "ten."
Common Language
Modern common usage (Wiktionary): As a standalone abbreviation, "TEN" is the initialism for toxic epidermal necrolysis, a severe skin condition. As an ordinary numeral word, ten means one more than nine. Historical common usage (Webster's 1913): "One more than nine; twice five." The gap here is navigational, not definitional. When a researcher encounters "TEN" capitalized in legal materials, context determines meaning. In medical-legal or insurance documents, it may reference the epidermal condition. In statutory provisions, it is the numeral. In older common law texts, it is almost certainly the root of a longer term — tenancy, tenure, tenement — that has been abbreviated, indexed, or truncated by a copyist or indexer.
Common Confusion
The primary confusion risk is index and catalog confusion. Historical legal dictionaries sometimes list short-form headwords that serve as entry points to longer compound terms. A researcher who encounters "TEN" as a dictionary headword may assume it denotes a discrete legal concept, when in fact it is a stub or cross-reference to the tenancy family of terms. The Burrill fragment reproduced here is properly understood as belonging to the entry for TENANCY IN COMMON, not as a definition of "ten" as an independent term.
Why It Matters in Research
Researchers using the Law Mind corpus should treat this entry primarily as a pointer. If your research involves any of the following, follow the cross-references rather than stopping here: - **Tenancy and co-ownership**: The Burrill fragment — describing how multiple holders may take under different titles, at different periods, or through words importing distinct shares — is a compressed statement of the distinctions between tenancy in common and joint tenancy. It belongs to a longer doctrinal discussion. See TENANCY IN COMMON. - **Tenure and feudal land law**: The root *ten-* in Latin (*tenere*, to hold) generates the entire feudal vocabulary of land holding. Historical sources will use TEN as shorthand in indexes, marginal notations, and abbreviated citations. - **Statutory numerals**: When "ten" appears in a statute (ten-day notice, ten-year limitations period, ten-member jury), it carries its plain numeral meaning and requires no special legal construction beyond the specific provision in question. - **Abbreviation traps in historical sources**: Pre-twentieth-century legal texts frequently truncated headwords, and OCR processing of digitized sources can produce isolated fragments like "TEN" that are remnants of longer terms. Always verify surrounding context before treating a short headword as a complete entry.
Historical Dictionary Support
Burrill's Law Dictionary contains what appears to be a truncated or misindexed entry under "TEN" that, by its content, is drawn from a discussion of tenancy in common. The passage references the rule that tenancy in common arises where two or more hold the same land with interests under different titles, or under the same title at different periods, or through limiting words importing distinct shares — citing 1 Stephen's Commentaries 323. This is a standard common law formulation of the tenancy in common concept. Burrill does not define "ten" as a standalone legal term, and no other major historical dictionary of English law (Bouvier, Black, Tomlin) treats "ten" as an independent legal term of art. This is consistent with its status as a root fragment rather than a term.
Encyclopedia Cross-Reference
See: TENANCY IN COMMON — for the doctrine described in the Burrill fragment. See: JOINT TENANCY — for the contrast that gives tenancy in common its meaning. See: TENURE — for the feudal land-holding framework from which the *ten-* root derives its legal significance.
Related Terms
Tenancy in Common Joint Tenancy Tenancy by the Entirety Tenant Tenement Tenure Co-ownership Undivided Interest Title (as distinct from possession) Limitation (words of)
TENmain
Burrill's Law Dictionary • 1870
(512) mon law. (513) two or more hold the same land, with interests accruing under different titles; or accruing under the same title, but at different periods; or conferred by words of limitation importing that the grantees are to take in distinct shares. 1 Steph. Com. 323. The holding of a personal chattel, as of a ship or vessel, by several persons at the same time, with distinct but undivided interests. See 3 Kent's Com. 151. (514) spectly endeavor the performance of any Cowell. See Tendre. (515) and good, it behooves the plaintiff to offer AL) LAND. [L. Lat. terra tenementalis.] to aver or prove [to express himself ready In English law. That part of a manor to verify] all his count. Id. c. 98. Littlewhich is granted out to tenants, as distinton uses this word in its present English form. Al jour assesse, de tender à luy; at the day set, to tender to him. Litt. sect. 340. guished from the demesne lands of the lord; the tenant's land or tenancy. Called, in Saxon law, the outland. Cowell. Spelman, vocc. Inland, Utland. 2 Bl. Com. 90. (516) shall pertain to villeinage, and nevertheless ing examples: Do tali, &c. habendum et be a freeman, since he does this in regard of the villeinage, and not in regard of his own person. Bract. fol. 26. A tenement; a building for habitation or occupation; a messuage, house or shop. There is a writ in the Register, De tenementis legatis, (about tenements bequeathed.) One form of this writ, directed to the mayor and sheriffs of London, recites that, "whereas, according to custom in the said city hitherto used and approved, it is lawful for every citizen of the said city to bequeath his tenements in the said city, by his last will and testament, to whomsoever he pleases, in the same way as his chattels, (licet unicuique civi ejusdem civitatis tenementa sua in eadem civitate, in testamento suo in ultima voluntate sua, tanquam catalla sua legare cuicunque vol uerit;) and that one S. late a citizen of the said city, had in his last will and testament bequeathed four shops, with the appurtenances, (quatuor shopas cum pertinentiis,) or four messuages and ten shops, (quatuor mesuagia et decem shopas,) with the appurtenances, &c. to E." Reg. Orig. 244 b. Another writ, directed to the bailiffs of Great Yarmouth, recites a similar custom of the burgesses of that town, and applies it to a messuage bequeathed by will, &c. Id. ibid. A chattel; a thing bought and held by a villein. Et quod tenementum contineri possit sub generalitate catallorum, quantam ad dominum, videtur, quia ex catallis illorum servorum, (quæ dominorum esse debent,) empta sunt tenementa; and it seems, that as far as concerns the lord, a tenement may be embraced under the general designation of chattels; because, with the chattels of those bondmen, (which ought to be their lords',) tenements are bought. Bract. fol. 26. A manor. Spelman. (517) inter manus utrasque domini sui; the tenant ought to put both his hands between both the hands of his lord. Bract. fol. 80. Potest quis esse tenens meus reddendo mihi redditum; a man may be my tenant by rendering to me a rent. Id. fol. 169. (518) communem feudi naturam ac rationem, in contractu interposita; tenor is an agreement, contrary to the common nature and reason of a fee, interposed or inserted in the contract [by which it is conveyed.] Hotoman de Verb. Feud. voc. Tenor feud. Tenor est qui legem dat feodo. It is the tenor [express terms of the feudal donation] which gives law to the fee. 2 Bl. Com. 310. Wright on Ten. 35, 21, 152. It is the tenor of the feudal grant which regulates its effect and extent. Broom's Μαх. 304, [346.] The declaration by the lord from whom the feud or fee moved, of the continuance or quantity of estate which he meant to confer, governed the fee. 2 Bl. Com. 310. Tenor est qui dat legem feudo, et plerumque naturam feudi mutat; it is the tenure which gives law to the fee, and for the most part changes the nature of the fee. Crag. de Jur. Feud. 50. Zasius in Us. Feud. fol. 123. Wright on Tenures, 21, note.
TENa.
Websters Unabridged Dictionary (1913) • 1913
One more than nine; twice five. With twice ten sail I crossed the Phrygian Sea. Dryden.
TENn.
Websters Unabridged Dictionary (1913) • 1913
The number greater by one than nine; the sum of five and five; ten units of objects. I will not destroy it for ten's sake. Gen. xviii. 32. A symbol representing ten units, as 10, x, or X.
TENnoun
Wiktionary (English) • 2026
Wiktionary contributorsCC BY-SA 4.0 • via Kaikki
Extracted and formatted for display by Law Mind. Source link opens the current Wiktionary page and its contributor history; it is not a frozen copy of this extract.
Initialism of toxic epidermal necrolysis.
tennum
Wiktionary (English) • 2026
Wiktionary contributorsCC BY-SA 4.0 • via Kaikki
Extracted and formatted for display by Law Mind. Source link opens the current Wiktionary page and its contributor history; it is not a frozen copy of this extract.
The number occurring after nine and before eleven, represented in Arabic numerals (base ten) as 10 and in Roman numerals as X.
tennoun
Wiktionary (English) • 2026
Wiktionary contributorsCC BY-SA 4.0 • via Kaikki
Extracted and formatted for display by Law Mind. Source link opens the current Wiktionary page and its contributor history; it is not a frozen copy of this extract.
A set or group with ten elements. | An inexact quantity, typically understood to be between 20 and 100. | A card in a given suit with a value of ten. | A denomination of currency, such as a banknote, with a value of ten units. | A perfect specimen, (particularly) a physically attractive person. | A high level of intensity. | The act of rowing ten strokes flat out.

Explore the full Law Mind legal research platform.

SubscribeEncyclopediaSign In