Definition of: mancipium

(man·sip′ē·əm) noun
In ancient Roman law, the legal status of a person conveyed by the paterfamilias to another by the ceremony of mancipation. If emancipated from the mancipium, the person became again subject to paternal power and so remained, unless sold three times, when the authority of the paterfamilias ceased. [<L <manceps a buyer <manus a hand + capere take]