CAPITE. In English law, a tenant in capite or in chief, is one who holds lands immediately of the king, caput, the head or Lord Paramount of all lands in the kingdom, by knights service or by soccage. This tenure is called tenure in capite; but it was abolished in England, by 12 Charles II. 24.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI