Emily Dickinson Lexicon

AL-LO'DI-UM, n. [Fr. alleu, contr. word. According to O'Brien in his Focaloir, or Dictionary of the Irish, this word is the Celtic allod, ancient. According to Pontoppidan, it is composed of all and odh, all-property, or whole estate. In Sw. odal, and in Dan. odel, signify allodial; the word being used as an adjective; Sw. odalgods, that is, odal goods, signifies allodial lands; and odaljord, odal earth, is used as its synonym. Odalmån, is one who possesses allodial land; odalbonde, is a yeoman or freeholder; odelt signifies undivided; o in Swedish being a prefix, answering to the English un, and giving to words a negative signification. If o in odal is this prefix, and dal from the root of deal, the word signifies undivided. But some obscurity rests on this word. Pontoppidan's derivation is most probably the true one.]

Freehold estate; land which is the absolute property of the owner; real estate held in absolute independence, without being subject to any rent, service, or acknowledgment to a superior. It is thus opposed to feud. In England, there is no allodial land, all land being held of the king; but in the United States, most lands are allodial.