Champagne properly includes several kinds not only of sparkling but of still wines; but in America the
term is usually restricted to wines which effervesce.
Champaign
(Cham*paign") n. [OF. champaigne; same word as campagne.] A flat, open country.
Fair champaign, with less rivers interveined.
Milton.
Through Apline vale or champaign wide.
Wordsworth.
Champaign
(Cham*paign"), a. Flat; open; level.
A wide, champaign country, filled with herds.
Addison.
Champer
(Champ"er) n. One who champs, or bites.
Champertor
(Cham"per*tor) n. [F. champarteur a divider of fields or field rent. See Champerty.] (Law)
One guilty of champerty; one who purchases a suit, or the right of suing, and carries it on at his own
expense, in order to obtain a share of the gain.
Champerty
(Cham"per*ty) n. [F. champart field rent, L. campipars; champ (L. campus) field + part
(L. pars) share.]
1. Partnership in power; equal share of authority. [Obs.]
Beauté ne sleighte, strengthe ne hardyness,
Ne may with Venus holde champartye.
Chaucer.
2. (Law) The prosecution or defense of a suit, whether by furnishing money or personal services, by
one who has no legitimate concern therein, in consideration of an agreement that he shall receive, in
the event of success, a share of the matter in suit; maintenance with the addition of an agreement to
divide the thing in suit. See Maintenance.
By many authorities champerty is defined as an agreement of this nature. From early times the offence
of champerty has been forbidden and punishable.
