Brewer's: Clause

Letter-clause, a close letter sealed with the royal signet or privy-seal, in opposition to letters-patent, which are left open, the seal being attached simply as a legal form (“Clause,” Latin clausus, shut, closed. “Patent,” Latin patens, open.)

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language