demesne

de·mesne

noun \di-ˈmān, -ˈmēn\

Definition of DEMESNE

1

: legal possession of land as one's own

2

: manorial land actually possessed by the lord and not held by tenants

3

a : the land attached to a mansion b : landed property : estate c : region 2, territory

4

: realm 2, domain

Examples of DEMESNE

1. <the vast and frozen demesne of the northern tundra>
2. <the view that the issue is not in the demesne of the courts and is something that should be decided by the state legislature>

Origin of DEMESNE

Middle English, from Anglo-French demesne, demeine — more at domain

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DEMESNE

Synonyms: area, region, field, zone

Related Words: corner, section; locale, locality, location, locus, place, point, position, site, space, spot

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other History Terms

agonistic, carpetbagger, enceinte, fief, historiography, paladin

Rhymes with DEMESNE

abstain, again, air lane, airplane, amain, arcane, arraign, attain, Bahrain, Bassein, Beltane, biplane, birdbrain, block plane, bloodstain, boat train, brain drain, bugbane, campaign, champagne, champaign, Champlain, checkrein, chicane, chilblain, choke chain, chow mein, cinquain, cocaine, Cockaigne, Coltrane, coxswain, complain, constrain, contain, cordwain, cowbane, crackbrain, deplane, destain, detain, detrain, devein, disdain, distain, distrain, dogbane, domain, drivetrain, dumb cane, edge-grain, Elaine, enchain, enplane, entrain, ethane, explain, eyestrain, fast lane, fleabane, floatplane, floodplain, food chain, forebrain, Fort Wayne, Gawain, germane, Great Dane, grosgrain, half plane, henbane, hindbrain, house-train, humane, Hussein, Igraine, immane, inane, ingrain, insane, jack plane, lamebrain, left brain, lightplane, lo mein, long-chain, Lorraine, maintain, marchpane, membrane, methane, midbrain, migraine, Montaigne, montane, moraine, mortmain, Moulmein, mundane, neck-rein, New Spain, obtain, octane, ordain, pertain, plain-Jane, profane, propane, ptomaine, purslane, quatrain, raise Cain, refrain, remain, restrain, retain, retrain, right brain, romaine, sailplane, sea-lane, seaplane, seatrain, split-brain, sustain, tailplane, tearstain, terrane, Touraine, towplane, triplane, Ukraine, unchain, urbane, vervain, vicereine, villein, volplane, warplane, wave train, wolfsbane