virgate

[ vur-git, -geyt ]

/ ˈvɜr gɪt, -geɪt /

adjective

shaped like a rod or wand; long, slender, and straight.

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Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

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Words nearby virgate

vires, virescence, virescent, virg., virga, virgate, virgil, virgilian, virgin, virgin birth, virgin forest

Origin of virgate

1815–25; < Latin virgātus; see virga, -ate¹

Definition for virgate (2 of 2)

virgate²

[ vur-git, -geyt ]

/ ˈvɜr gɪt, -geɪt /

noun

an early English measure of land of varying extent, usually considered equivalent to a quarter of a hide, or about 30 acres (12 hectares).

Origin of virgate

1645–55; < Medieval Latin virgāta (terrae) measure (of land), feminine of Latin virgātus pertaining to a rod; see virgate¹; translation Old English gierd landes yard-measure of land

Also called yardland.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for virgate

A commonly recurrent term is wista; it corresponds to the virgate: a great wista is as much as half-a-hide, or two virgates.
Villainage in England|Paul Vinogradoff
In most of the cases, when the virgate is described in its component parts, we come across irregularities.
Villainage in England|Paul Vinogradoff
So again, if a iugum is quartered, its quarter can be called a virgate.
Domesday Book and Beyond|Frederic William Maitland
On the other hand, any reference to such an unit as the virgate or yard-land is exceedingly rare.
Domesday Book and Beyond|Frederic William Maitland

Ferlingseti are to be met with now and then in connexion with the ferling or ferdel, the fourth part of a virgate.
Villainage in England|Paul Vinogradoff

British Dictionary definitions for virgate (1 of 2)

virgate¹

/ (ˈvɜːɡɪt, -ɡeɪt) /

adjective

long, straight, and thin; rod-shapedvirgate stems

Word Origin for virgate

C19: from Latin virgātus made of twigs, from virga a rod

British Dictionary definitions for virgate (2 of 2)

virgate²

/ (ˈvɜːɡɪt, -ɡeɪt) /

noun

British an obsolete measure of land area, usually taken as equivalent to 30 acres

Word Origin for virgate

C17: from Medieval Latin virgāta (terrae) a rod's measurement (of land), from Latin virga rod; the phrase is a translation of Old English gierd landes a yard of land

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