Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- a member of a class of partially free persons under the feudal system, who were serfs with respect to their lord but had the rights and privileges of freemen with respect to others.
noun
- (in medieval Europe) a peasant personally bound to his lord, to whom he paid dues and services, sometimes commuted to rents, in return for his land
early 14c., spelling variant of villain, referring to a feudal class of half-free peasants.