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portreeve. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
portreeve, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
portreeve in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
portreeve you have here. The definition of the word
portreeve will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
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English
Etymology
From Middle English port-reve etc., from Old English portgerēfa etc., from port (“a walled market town”) + gerēfa (“reeve”).
Noun
portreeve (plural portreeves)
- A borough-reeve: an office equivalent to a mayor (historical) in several major English towns or (dialect) in various minor boroughs of Wales and Southwest England.
1772, Jacob's Law Dictionary:Instead of the portgreve [of London], Richard the first ordained two bailiffs, but presently after him King John granted them a mayor for their yearly magistrate.
- (historical) A municipal office subordinate to a mayor, (especially) a bailiff.
- (historical) A port reeve, a port warden.
Derived terms
References
- Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed. "portreeve, n." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2006.