Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MESNE, a. [meen; Old Fr.]

In law, middle; intervening; as, a mesne lord, that is, a lord who holds land of a superior, but grants part of it to another person. In this case, he is a tenant to the superior, but lord or superior to the second grantee, and called the mesne lord. Mesne process, that part of the proceedings in a suit which intervenes between the original process or writ and the final issue, and which issues, pending the suit, on some collateral matter; and sometimes it is understood to be the whole process preceding the execution. Blackstone. Mesne profits, the profits of an estate which accrue to a tenant in possession, after the demise of the lessor.