That portlon of a man’s property which he is free to dispose of by will to beneficiaries other than his wife and children. By the ancient common law, this amounted to one-third of his estate if he was survived by both wife and children. 2 Bl. Comm. 492; Hopkins v. wright, 17 Tex. 36. In the civil law (hy the Lex Falcidia) it amounted to three-fourths. Mackeld. Rom. Law, §8 708, 771
Source: Black’s Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
