Lat. He holds; he held. In the Latin forms of the writ of waste against a tenant, these words introduced the allegation of tenure. If the tenancy still existed, and recovery of the land was sought, the former word was used, (and the writ was said to be “in the tenet.”) If the tenancy had already determined, the latter term was used, (the writ being described as “in the tenuit,”) and then damages only were sought.
Black’s Law Online Dictionary
