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Noun: villeinage  vi-lu-nij
  1. The legal status or condition of servitude of a villein or feudal serf
    "villeinage was a common form of peasant subjugation in medieval Europe";
    - villainage [archaic]
     
  2. Tenure by which a villein held land
    "In medieval times, villeinage was a common form of land tenure for peasants"

Derived forms: villeinages

Type of: land tenure, legal status, servitude, tenure

Encyclopedia: Villeinage