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In Japan, under the feudal system, a samurai who had renounced his clan or who had been discharged or ostracized and had become a wanderer without a lord; an outcast; an outlaw.

(Fr. & Canadian Law) A feudal tenure of lands by one who has no privileges of nobility, but is permitted to discharge all his obligations to his feudal lord or superior by a payment of rent in money or kind and without rendering any personal services.

A person who is not of noble birth; specif., a freeman who during the prevalence of feudalism held allodial land.

In the former feudal system of Japan, the class or a member of the class, of military retainers of the daimios, constituting the gentry or lesser nobility. They possessed power of life and death over the commoners, and wore two swords as their distinguishing mark. Their special rights and privileges were abolished with…

The granting of lands by inferior lords to their dependents, to be held by themselves by feudal tenure. Craig.

again. Bacon. Out of suits, having no correspondence. [Obs.] Shak. -- Suit and service (Feudal Law), the duty of feudatories to attend the courts of their lords or superiors in time of peace, and in war to follow them and do military service; -- called also suit service. Blackstone. -- Suit broker, one who made a tr…

A superior lord, to whom fealty is due; a feudal lord; a lord paramount.

in chief, by the laws of England, one who holds immediately of the king. According to the feudal system, all lands in England are considered as held immediately or mediately of the king, who is styled lord paramount. Such tenants, however, are considered as having the fee of the lands and permanent possession. Blacksto…

slands, where udal designates land held in fee simple without any charter and free of any feudal character.

; one who holds land of superior, and who vows fidelity and homage to him; a feudatory; a feudal tenant. Burrill.

riginally represented the bishops, but later erected their offices into fiefs, and became feudal nobles.

One who holds lands by a base, or servile, tenure, or in villenage; a feudal tenant of the lowest class, a bondman or servant. [In this sense written also villan, and villein.] If any of my ansectors was a tenant, and a servant, and held his lands as a villain to his lord, his posterity also must do so, though accident…