Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
margrave [mahr-greyv] ExamplesWord Origin noun
- (formerly) the hereditary title of the rulers of certain European states.
- History/Historical. a hereditary German title, equivalent to marquis.
- (originally) a military governor of a German mark, or border province.
Origin of margrave 1545–55; earlier marcgrave Middle Dutch, equivalent to marke border (cognate with march2) + grave count (cognate with reeve1); compare German Markgraf Related formsmar·gra·vi·al, adjective Examples from the Web for margrave Historical Examples of margrave
The Margrave of Rudesheimer was a slender man of elegant appearance.
Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli
The Margrave was astounded, the people in raptures, and the cousins in despair.
Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli
She had gone to Bayreuth, where she had been the margrave’s mistress.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt
“‘Tis clear as the staff of a pike,” said the poor Margrave, mournfully.
William Makepeace Thackeray
In accents broken by grief, the Margrave explained what had occurred.
William Makepeace Thackeray
British Dictionary definitions for margrave margrave noun
- a German nobleman ranking above a count. Margraves were originally counts appointed to govern frontier provinces, but all had become princes of the Holy Roman Empire by the 12th century
Word Origin for margrave C16: from Middle Dutch markgrave, literally: count of the march ² Word Origin and History for margrave n.
military governor of a German border province, 1550s, from Middle Dutch markgrave (Dutch markgraaf), literally “count of the border,” from Old High German marcgravo; second element from graf “count, earl” (Old High German gravo, gravjo), from West Germanic *grafa “a designation of rank, possibly borrowed from Greek grapheus “scribe.” For first element see mark (n.1). Later a hereditary title under the Holy Roman Empire. His wife was a margravine.