v. [f. L. ēvict- ppl. stem of ēvincĕre, f. ē- out + vincĕre to conquer.
The etymological senses of the Lat. word are the following: 1. To conquer or overcome completely (ē- having merely an intensive force); 2. To obtain by conquering or overcoming; to recover by judicial means; to gain or accomplish in spite of obstacles; 3. To overcome and expel; to eject by judicial process; 4. To elicit by force of argument, to prove. See EVINCE.]
I. Law.
1. trans. To recover (property or the title to property) of or from any one by a judicial process, or in virtue of a superior title.
1503–4. Act 19 Hen. VII., c. 29. Indent., Yf the seid advouson … after the seid … appropriacion be evicted and taken from the said Abbas and Convent.
1541–2. Act 33 Hen. VIII., c. 39 § 54. If the said manours … be recovered or euicted out of or from the possession of eny suche person … by eny just or former title.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 145. Earle Hubert granted to the said John … all the right that he had in the countie of Granople, and whatsoever might be got and evicted in the same countie.
1601. F. Godwin, Bps. of Eng., 118. He euicted the same [the Island of Seales] first in law.
a. 1610. Healey, Theophrast. (1616), To Rdr. If the thing bought bee euicted from the buyer, by reason the seller his possession was not good.
1635. Sir R. Boyle, Diary, in Lismore Papers, Ser. I. (1886), IV. 81. That [he] … should give sufficient securetie … to answer all the mean profitts if by law I should evict his tytle.
1809. Tomlins, Law Dict., s.v. Eviction, If land is evicted, before the time of payment of rent on a lease, no rent shall be paid by the lessee.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), IV. 434. If A. gives in exchange three acres to B. for other three acres, and afterwards one acre is evicted from B., in that case the whole exchange is defeated.
† b. ? To vacate, retire from. Obs. rare–1.
1530. in Rymer Fœdera (1712), XIV. 373. The same Lord Cardinall shall not Resign Leve Relese or otherwise Discharge or Evicte his Possession.
2. To expel (a person) by legal process † of, from, out of (land, etc.); also simply.
1536. Hen. VIII., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 124, II. 90. You have evictyd hym of the possessyon of the same.
1579. Fenton, Guicciard., V. (1599), 199. They … had no conscience to euict the iust owner out of the whole.
a. 1619. Daniel, Coll. Hist. Eng. (1626), 52. Being … euicted by Law, of certayne other parcels of land.
1720–54. Apol. S.-Sea Direct., in Strype, Stow’s Surv. (1754), II. V. xvii. 365/2. They had been evicted out of their Estates, however long enjoyed.
1767. Blackstone, Comm., II. 323. If, after an exchange of lands … either party be evicted of those which were taken by him in exchange, through defect of the other’s title.
1809. Tomlins, Law Dict., s.v. Eviction, If a widow is evicted of her dower or thirds, she shall be endowed in the other lands of the heir.
1845. McCulloch, Taxation, II. iv. § 3. Should it be sold … the purchaser may be evicted by the wife or children.
b. In recent popular use, esp. To eject (a tenant) from his holding.
1861. Pearson, Early & Mid. Ages Eng., xxxiv. 429. The great landowners evicted their tenantry, who were thus thrown upon the country, houseless and landless, but free.
1889. Daily News, 8 May, 5/7. Two of the principal tenants on the estate … were evicted.
c. Hence transf. To eject (persons) forcibly from any position.
1876. Weiss, Wit, Hum. & Shakes., i. 5. When a great freshet takes possession of a country, and evicts the tenants of every hole, thicket, and burrow, there is an indiscriminate stampede of the animals for the driest and safest places.
1878. Lady Herbert, trans. Hübner’s Ramble, I. xii. 197. The new arrivals are the born antagonists … of our enemies. They will evict them.
II. General senses.
† 3. a. To conquer (a country, etc.); to obtain by conquest. Obs.
1560. Cotton MS., in Froude, Hist. Eng. (1881), VI. 326. [The kingdom to be] evicted out of the hands of their own nation.
1602. Warner, Alb. Eng., Epit. (1612), 368. Edward … euicted from the Danes the Prouince of East-Anglia.
† b. To overcome (an adversary, adverse circumstances, etc.). Obs.
1642. G. Eglisham, Forerun. Revenge, 7. Meanes may be had to resist or evict the most violent beast that ever nature bred.
1667. Waterhouse, Fire Lond., 171. Their industry fortunated by God has made head against its misfortune, and evicted its cloud.
† 4. To extort by force. Obs. Cf. EVINCE 3.
1631. Chapman, Cæsar & Pompey, IV. i. H 1 b. Your happy exposition … Euicts glad grant from me you hold a truth.
1648. G. Daniel, Eclog., v. 200. Rebell mouths (who speake noe truth, vnles Evicted ’bove their Rage) did then confesse Him master of ye feild.
† 5. a. To vanquish in argument or litigation; to confute (a disputant), refute (an opinion or argument). b. To convict or convince (of). Obs.
1591. Horsey, Trav. (Hakluyt Soc.), App. 305. When by argumente they weare evicted, they pleaded mysunderstandinge of the interpretore or coruptyone in the translacion.
1594. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., II. 585. Before hee coulde haue euicted Democritus of his foolish opinion.
1601. Dent, Pathw. Heaven, Pref. (1831), 77. This work doth sharply reprove and evict the world of sin.
1610. Barrough, Meth. Physick, I. xxx. (1639), 50. Therfore (as Iohannicus saith) the eye hath seven coates…. But his opinion … by sundry Anatomists hath been evicted, making but only six.
1611. Speed, Theat. Gt. Brit., vii. (1614), 13/2. Canute to evict his flatterers made triall of his Deitie.
1660. R. Coke, Justice Vind., 5. He … had need take great heed … least instead of evicting his adversary, he only acquires the repute of a light and foolish man.
1730–6. Bailey (folio), Evict, to convince by force of argument, &c.
† 6. To establish by argument, to prove. With simple obj. or obj. sentence; also with inf. or as with complement. Obs. = EVINCE 4.
1584. Fenner, Def. Ministers (1587), 126. There are wonderfull cunning men on your side, if they can euict this.
1610. C. Hampton, Serm. (1611), 30. Which euicteth … that there was one greater then the rest.
1614. Bp. Hall, Epist., V. ix. 553. Let this stand euicted for the true and necessarie sense of the Apostle.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 221. That it is in its own nature laudable … is by some evicted by the authority of the Ancients.
1715. Cheyne, Philos. Princ. Relig., I. (ed. 2), 306. This nervous Fluid has never been discovered in live Animals … nor its necessity evicted by any cogent experiment.
1722. Wodrow, Corr. (1843), II. 683. Unless your friend have more to evict them [papers] to be Mr. M‘Ward’s than Mr. Goodal’s saying so.
† b. To settle (a controversy) by a decisive argument. Obs.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 447. It might seeme that we had alleadged sufficiently for thys matter, and euicted the controuersy throughly.
1660. Jer. Taylor, Duct. Dubit., I. II. vi. Whether … that argument does evict the question.
Hence Evict sb. [cf. convict], Evictee, an evicted tenant (rare). Evicting vbl. sb. (attrib.) and ppl. a.
1886. Pall Mall Gaz., 10 Dec., 1/2. Not a penny of rent to be paid until the ‘evicts’ were reinstated.
1879. Daily News, 31 Jan., 2/2. This I found tenanted by some people who, judging by their language and bearing, were considerably above the rank of the evictees.
1889. Daily News, 8 May, 5/7. 130 police accompanied the evicting party.
1863. Fawcett, Pol. Econ., II. vii. 237. Assassination was the retribution with which the cottiers of Ireland not unfrequently punished an evicting landlord.
