damage feasant
damage feasant (dam-ij fez-[schwa]nt orfee-z[schwa]nt), n. [fr. French faisant dommage] Hist. Doing damage. • This phrase usu. refers to injury to a person’s land caused by another person’s animals’ trespassing on the property and eating the crops or treading the grass. By law, the owner of the damaged property could distrain and impound the animals until compensated by the animals’ owner. But the impounder had to feed the animals and could not sell or harm them. The term was introduced during the reign of Edward III. — Also spelled damage faisant. — Also termed damnum facientes.
