virgate
Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- adjective Shaped like a wand or rod; straight, long, and slender.
- noun An early English measure of land area of varying value, often equal to about 30 acres (12 hectares).
Examples
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The typical holding, the group of scattered acres cultivated by one man or held by some two or three in common, was known as a "virgate," or by some equivalent term, and although of no universal equality, was more frequently of thirty acres than of any other number.
An Introduction to the Industrial and Social History of England
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Brother John is dead, and the holy subprior is dead, and the Devil is loose in the five-virgate field!
Note
The word 'virgate' comes from a Latin word meaning 'a twig, rod.
