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Glite Dictionary
demesne

demesne

1 9.9
Land by a large house or castle that the owner keeps for their own use, not rented to others
  • noun
  • /dɪˈmeɪn/
  • Archaic
translation icon : dominio
  • The farmer decided to cultivate the fields of his demesne to grow vegetables for his family.

Examples

  • She'd lingered a bit longer than she intended at Powerscourt Demesne on her way.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • He it was who took word of Agnes's death and final testament to Margaret, along with a sum of money to finance the spinster's journey to her new demesne.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Moreover, the peak period for agricultural work on the demesne and in the villages was the same.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Only the massed trees of the demesne were dark and exhaled darkness.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Turning right, away from the hallway, Frank and Beatrice entered the demesne of the pathology department.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Rather, it took the form of authority over land, either direct exploitation of demesne property or the ownership of rights over individuals who lived in the defined territory of the manor or lordship.

    Academic text (2018)

  • (3) Tsvetaeva, Marina. The Demesne of Swans.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Now and then, I lay it over my legal—and loved—demesne.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Elves trained in the ways of seeing and exploring move within this dark demesne as an otter swims among the seaweed forests off the California coast.

    Blog text (20)

  • Urban bourgeois and "outside" nobles acquired rural properties; some of these were simple estates with a combination of a manor, demesne land, and peasant tenures, without the status of fiefs.

    Academic text (2018)

Synonyms

land
vsdemesne
∞ 1.0

An area of ground used for farming, building, or as a country

is a specific manor-attached area kept for the owner's private use
estate
vsdemesne
553 4.2

A large area of land owned by one person or family with a big house

is the part attached to a manor kept not rented to tenants
domain
vsdemesne
41 5.6

An area controlled by a ruler, government, or organization

is private manor land kept for the owner's use rather than ruled territory
landed estate
vsdemesne
7.7

A large area of countryside land owned by one family

is attached to a manor and kept rather than rented to tenants

Surface Forms

demesne singular
demesnes plural

Etymology

Demesne comes from the old Latin word dominium, which means 'ownership' and is related to the familiar English word domain. It originally meant the land a lord kept for his own use, so demesne today means land kept by the owner rather than rented out.