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fyrd

[furd]
noun
  1. the militia in Anglo-Saxon England.
  2. the duty to serve in this militia.
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Origin of fyrd

< Old English fyrd, fierd, akin to faran to go, fare
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for fyrd

Historical Examples

  • Nevertheless, the main defence of the country rested with the "fyrd."

    Freedom In Service

    Fossey John Cobb Hearnshaw

  • Harold got together a large fleet to guard the Channel, and called out the fyrd of the southern counties to defend the coast.

    Battles of English History

    H. B. (Hereford Brooke) George

  • The English army at Hastings consisted of the fyrd and the corps of huscarles.

  • By the laws of King Ine161 the gesithcundmen were fined and forfeited their land if they neglected their 'fyrd:'

  • If a gesithcund man owning land neglect the fyrd, let him pay cxx.

British Dictionary definitions for fyrd

fyrd

noun
  1. history the local militia of an Anglo-Saxon shire, in which all freemen had to serve
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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