两个单词均有“遗赠”的含义。bequeath多指“动产遗赠” (especially to give personal property by will)，如：John bequeathed his shares to his nephew (约翰将其股份赠与了他的侄儿）。而devise则专门用于指“不动产遗赠”（to give real property by will)。应注意的是此种传统的区别现正在逐渐消失，如立遗嘱人在遗嘱中明文规定bequeath与devise同义，bequeath有时也可表示不动产遗赠（but sometimes of real property [1])。而美国的《统一遗嘱检验法典》则用devise指所有的遗赠（The Uniform Probate Code uses devise to refer to any gifts made in a will[2]) 。

 

[1] Cf. Linda Picard Wood, J. D. Merriam Webster's Dictionary of Law, at p. 49， Merriam-Webster, Incorporated Springfield, Massachusetts (1996).

[2] Id. at p. 137.