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Land records frequently contain abbreviations to conserve space in deeds, plats, grants, and survey descriptions. Understanding these shortened forms is essential for properly interpreting property boundaries, ownership transfers, and legal descriptions.
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
| A/C | Account |
| Agt. | Agent |
| Bk. | Book |
| Bnd. | Bound or Bond |
| Bldg. | Building |
| Co. | County or Company |
| Cor. | Corner |
| Dft. | Defendant |
| Dist. | District |
| Do. | Ditto (same as above) |
| Exr. | Executor |
| Exrx. | Executrix |
| Et al. | And others |
| Et ux. | And wife |
| Et vir. | And husband |
| FBO | For benefit of |
| Gov’t | Government |
| Grantee | Person receiving property |
| Grantor | Person conveying property |
| Heirs | Legal successors |
| Hrs. | Heirs |
| Inst. | Instrument |
| J.P. | Justice of the Peace |
| Lds. | Lands |
| Lt. | Lot |
| Metes & Bds. | Metes and bounds (property description method) |
| Mtg. | Mortgage |
| N | North |
| NE | Northeast |
| NW | Northwest |
| No. | Number |
| POB | Place of beginning |
| Pt. | Part |
| Pltf. | Plaintiff |
| QCD | Quitclaim Deed |
| R/W | Right of way |
| Rec’d | Received |
| Reg. | Register |
| Sec. | Section |
| SE | Southeast |
| S | South |
| SW | Southwest |
| Subd. | Subdivision |
| Surv. | Survey or Surveyor |
| T | Township |
| Tp. | Township |
| Tr. | Tract |
| W | West |
| Wd. | Ward |
| Wtn. | Witness |
If you’d like this information in a clean, printable, and well-organized reference format, this topic is also included in the Quicksheet Vault. The Vault is designed for researchers who prefer working tools they can save, print, and reuse—whether that means building a personal binder of key resources or keeping reliable references close at hand. You can learn more about the Quicksheet Vault HERE