1. law reversion of property to state: the reversion of the property of a deceased person to the state when there are no legal heirs
2. law history property affected by escheat: property that reverts by escheat
3. history reversion of property to feudal lord: in medieval England, the reversion to a feudal overlord of the property of a deceased person when there was no legal heir or when a tenant was outlawed
[13th century. < Old French eschete and Anglo-Latin escheta< assumed Vulgar Latin excadere "fall away" < Latin cadere "fall"]
