demesne

[ dih-meyn, -meen ]

/ dɪˈmeɪn, -ˈmin /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR demesne ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

possession of land as one's own: land held in demesne.

an estate or part of an estate occupied and controlled by, and worked for the exclusive use of, the owner.

land belonging to and adjoining a manor house; estate.

the dominion or territory of a sovereign or state; domain.

a district; region.

Nearby words

demerge, demerger, demerit, demerol, demersal, demesne, demeter, demeton, demetrias, demetrius i, demi-

Origin of demesne

1250–1300; Middle English demeine < Anglo-French demesne, Old French demein; see domain

Related forms

de·mesn·i·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for demesne

When Fanny came into the breakfast-room next morning, he asked her to walk with him in the demesne after breakfast.
The Kellys and the O'Kellys|Anthony Trollope
The plant is a handsome one, and it might combine the useful with the ornamental if it were cultivated on demesne or villa farms.
The Stock-Feeder's Manual|Charles Alexander Cameron
I speculated what demesne this might be, and I realized that it was probably Lavedan.
Bardelys the Magnificent|Rafael Sabatini
The lords also let a considerable amount of their demesne land on leases for years.
A Short History of English Agriculture|W. H. R. Curtler

In particular they show us the relative areas of the demesne farm and of the land in the hands of all other classes of tenants.
The Agrarian Problem in the Sixteenth Century|Richard Henry Tawney

British Dictionary definitions for demesne

demesne

/ (dɪˈmeɪn, -ˈmiːn) /

noun

land, esp surrounding a house or manor, retained by the owner for his own use

property law the possession and use of one's own property or land

the territory ruled by a state or a sovereign; realm; domain

a region or district; domain

Word Origin for demesne

C14: from Old French demeine; see domain

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