Law. Obs. An arbitrary name for a particular parcel of ground, to distinguish it from another denominated ‘white acre’; a third parcel being, when necessary, similarly termed ‘green acre’ (= parcel a, parcel b, parcel c). The choice of the words ‘black,’ ‘white,’ and ‘green’ was perhaps influenced by their use to indicate different kinds of crops.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 148. b.
1698. [R. Fergusson], View of Ecclesiastick, 10. Foolish Comparisons, of … the exchanging of Black-Acre by A, for White-Acre from B.
Hence Black-acre, v. Obs. to litigate about landed property. (Wycherley’s Double Dealer has a Mrs. Blackacre, a litigious widow, whose name may be immediately alluded to in the quotation.)
1751. Mrs. Delany, Life & Corr., 67. She is now gone to town, black-acreing, to her lawyers.
