VILLEIN


Meaning of VILLEIN in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈvi-lən, ˈvi-ˌlān, vi-ˈlān ]

noun

Etymology: Middle English vilain, vilein — more at villain

Date: 14th century

1. : a free common villager or village peasant of any of the feudal classes lower in rank than the thane

2. : a free peasant of a feudal class higher in rank than a cotter

3. : an unfree peasant standing as the slave of a feudal lord but free in legal relations with respect to all others

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.