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Bigamy

BIG'AMY, n. [L.bis,twice, and Gr. to marry, marriage.] The crime of having two wives at once. but the term is ordinarily used as synonymous with Polygamy, and may be more justly defined, the crime of having a...

Webster Dictionary
English dictionary 16.3 MB

Meaning

BIG'AMY, n. [L.bis,twice, and Gr. to marry, marriage.]

The crime of having two wives at once. but the term is ordinarily used as synonymous with Polygamy, and may be more justly defined, the crime of having a plurality of wives.

In the canon law, bigamy was the marrying a second wife after the death of the first, or once marrying a widow. This disqualified a man for orders,and holding ecclesiastical offices.

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