1. Movable property that a person owns personally as opposed to real estate: "Bill's chattels included his car and a large collection of novels that he kept in several book cases."

"Rena's father willed her all of his 'goods and chattels' including the tools that he used over the years as a carpenter."

2. Etymology: chattel comes from Medieval Latin capital, "property"; from which English has also inherited capital, and cattle."