Deed Poll
Preserved but no longer current.
A deed drawn by one party, and so called because such deeds were formerly written on parchment with a polled or straight edge, in distinction to the in- dentures, which had an indented or wavy edge. It is by deed poll that one changes one's name or executes any deed that does not concern another party.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Deed Poll” mean?
A deed drawn by one party, and so called because such deeds were formerly written on parchment with a polled or straight edge, in distinction to the in- dentures, which had an indented or wavy edge. It is by deed poll that one changes one's name or executes any deed that does not concern another party.
Is “Deed Poll” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.