without descendants; person/family with no heir
Meanings
2 senses · 7 examplesverb
to have no male heir; to have one's family line die out
archaicHistorically emphasized the male lineage; can be used literally or as a serious curse.
In that era, people feared most having no heir, which meant the family line would be severed.
Cursing someone to have no descendants is extremely vicious.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
His family had only one male heir for three generations, so he worries his generation might have no heir.
noun
person or family without descendants; heirless household
archaicOften carries a heavy, sometimes pitiful or stigmatized connotation. Refers to the individual or the entire family unit.
Everyone in the village said that family was heirless, with no one to inherit the family business.
According to old customs, the property of an heirless household would revert to the clan.
Show 2 more examplesShow fewer examples
He was a man without descendants, and his later years were quite desolate.
In feudal thinking, having only daughters was also considered being heirless.