A devise is real property given by will.[1] A bequest is personal property given by will.[2] Today, the two words are often used interchangeably due to their combination in many wills as devise and bequeath, a legal doublet. The phrase give, devise, and bequeath, a legal triplet, has been used for centuries, including the will of William Shakespeare.
The word bequeath is a verb form for the act of making a bequest.[3]