- Joint and several
- Joint Joint (joint), a. [F., p. p. of joindre. See {Join}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. Joined; united; combined; concerted; as, joint action.
[1913 Webster]
2. Involving the united activity of two or more; done or produced by two or more working together. [1913 Webster]
I read this joint effusion twice over. --T. Hook. [1913 Webster]
3. United, joined, or sharing with another or with others; not solitary in interest or action; holding in common with an associate, or with associates; acting together; as, joint heir; joint creditor; a joint bank account; joint debtor, etc. ``Joint tenants of the world.'' --Donne. [1913 Webster]
4. Shared by, or affecting two or more; held in common; as, joint property; a joint bond. [1913 Webster]
A joint burden laid upon us all. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
{Joint committee} (Parliamentary Practice), a committee composed of members of the two houses of a legislative body, for the appointment of which concurrent resolutions of the two houses are necessary. --Cushing.
{Joint meeting}, or {Joint session}, the meeting or session of two distinct bodies as one; as, a joint meeting of committees representing different corporations; a joint session of both branches of a State legislature to chose a United States senator. ``Such joint meeting shall not be dissolved until the electoral votes are all counted and the result declared.'' --Joint Rules of Congress, U. S.
{Joint resolution} (Parliamentary Practice), a resolution adopted concurrently by the two branches of a legislative body. ``By the constitution of the United States and the rules of the two houses, no absolute distinction is made between bills and joint resolutions.'' --Barclay (Digest).
{Joint rule} (Parliamentary Practice), a rule of proceeding adopted by the concurrent action of both branches of a legislative assembly. ``Resolved, by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that the sixteenth and seventeenth joint rules be suspended for the remainder of the session.'' --Journal H. of R., U. S.
{Joint and several} (Law), a phrase signifying that the debt, credit, obligation, etc., to which it is applied is held in such a way that the parties in interest are engaged both together and individually thus a joint and several debt is one for which all the debtors may be sued together or either of them individually; used especially in the phrase joint and several liability.
{Joint stock}, stock held in company.
{Joint-stock company} (Law), a species of partnership, consisting generally of a large number of members, having a capital divided, or agreed to be divided, into shares, the shares owned by any member being usually transferable without the consent of the rest.
{Joint tenancy} (Law), a tenure by two or more persons of estate by unity of interest, title, time, and possession, under which the survivor takes the whole. --Blackstone.
{Joint tenant} (Law), one who holds an estate by joint tenancy. Contrassted with {tenant in common}. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.