tacksman

9.9

A person who rents land from a landlord and lets it to farmers

noun
/ˈtæksmən/

Archaic

: arrendatario

In 18th-century Scotland, a tacksman often managed large areas of farmland for the estate owner.

Examples

The tacksman negotiated leases with several families who worked the land.
After the reforms, the role of the tacksman gradually disappeared from Scottish society.
The tacksman managed several farms in the region.
Many tacksmen played a crucial role in Scottish agriculture.
In 18th-century Scotland, a tacksman often managed large areas of farmland for the estate owner.
The tacksman negotiated leases with several families who worked the land.
Many tacksmen played a crucial role in Scottish agriculture.

Synonyms

leaseman

vstacksman

Archaic

7.7

A person who rents land, especially a farm, from the owner

acts as an intermediate lessee who sublets the land to other tenant farmers

Surface Forms

tacksman singular

tacksmen plural

Morphology

tacksman = tack (opaque) = tack + man

Although morphologically analysable as 'tack' (Scots 'lease') + agentive '-man', the sense of 'tack' is dialectal/archaic and not known to typical learners, so the compound meaning is not reliably derivable.

Etymology

Tacksman comes from the Scottish word tack, meaning 'lease' or 'contract', plus the agent part -man. A tacksman was therefore the person who 'held' the lease and could rent the land on to others, which explains the historical role.