arpent

[ ahr-puh nt; French ar-pahn ]
/ ˈɑr pənt; French arˈpɑ̃ /

noun, plural ar·pents [ahr-puh nts; French ar-pahn] /ˈɑr pənts; French arˈpɑ̃/.

an old French unit of area equal to about one acre (0.4 hectare). It is still used in the province of Quebec and in parts of Louisiana.

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Origin of arpent

1570–80; < Middle French < Latin arepennis half-acre < Gaulish; akin to MIr airchenn unit of area

Words nearby arpent

arpa, arpanet, arpeggiate, arpeggiation, arpeggio, arpent, arpino, arquebus, arquebusier, arr., arracacha
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British Dictionary definitions for arpent

arpent
/ (ˈɑːpənt, French arpɑ̃) /

noun

a former French unit of length equal to 190 feet (approximately 58 metres)
an old French unit of land area equal to about one acre: still used in Quebec and Louisiana

Word Origin for arpent

C16: from Old French, probably from Late Latin arepennis half an acre, of Gaulish origin; related to Middle Irish airchenn unit of land measure
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012