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demesne

Syllabification: (de·mesne)
Pronunciation: /diˈmān/
Definition of demesne

noun

historical
  • 1land attached to a manor and retained for the owner’s own use.
  • the lands of an estate.
  • archaic a region or domain:she may one day queen it over that fair demesne
  • 2 Law possession of real property in one’s own right.

Phrases

held in demesne

(of an estate) occupied by the owner, not by tenants.

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French demeine (later Anglo-Norman French demesne) 'belonging to a lord', from Latin dominicus, from dominus 'lord, master'. Compare with domain

demesne in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of demesne in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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