n. 1 a a sovereign's or State's territory; a domain. b land attached to a mansion etc. c landed property; an estate. 2 (usu. foll. by of) a region or sphere. 3 Law hist. possession (of real property) as one's own. held in demesne (of an estate) occupied by the owner, not by tenants.
[ ME f. AF, OF demeine (later AF demesne) belonging to a lord f. L dominicus (as DOMINICAL) ]