champerty noun. ['tʃampǝ:ti] LME.
[Anglo-Norman champartie, from Old & mod. French champart the feudal lord's share of the produce, from Latin campus (see CAMP noun²) + pars PART noun.]
1. Partnership in power. LME-M16.

2. Law. The action of assisting a party in a suit in which one is not naturally interested, with a view to receiving a share of the disputed property (an offence in the US and formerly in Britain). LME.
b. An act or (now US) case of champerty. LME.

3. fig. A combination for an evil purpose. Now rare. E17.

■ champertor noun (now rare) a person engaged in champerty E16.

■ champertous adjective (rare) of the nature of champerty M17.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲