(thing) by kessenich Thu Mar 02 2000 at 11:39:50
Law Latin
From cancelling.

"It has its name of chancery, cancellaria, from the judge who presides here, the lord chancellor or cancellarius, who, Sir Edward Coke tells us, is so termed a cancellando, from cancelling the king's letters patents when granted contrary to law..." William Blackstone, Commentaries On the Laws of England 46 (1768)

Black's Law Dictionary

I like it!