n. 1. Law Possession and use of one's own land. 2. Manorial land retained for the private use of a feudal lord. 3. The grounds belonging to a mansion or country house. 4. An extensive piece of landed property; an estate. 5. A district; a territory. 6. A realm; a domain. [Anglo-French, respelling (probably influenced by French mesne, variant of Anglo-Norman meen, middle, in legal phrase mesne lord, lord who holds a manor of a superior lord) of Middle English demeine, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French demaine; see DOMAIN.] |
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