yeomanry
/ˈjoʊmənɹi/ noun
Forms yeomanries
- noun (historical) A class of small freeholders who cultivated their own land.
- noun A British volunteer cavalry force organized in 1761 for home defense and later incorporated into the Territorial Army.
Etymology
From Middle English ȝemanry, yemandry, yema[n]ri, yemanrye, yomandrye, yomanry; equivalent to yeoman + -ry.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The position or rank of a yeoman. [Obs.] "His estate of yeomanry." Chaucer.
- noun The collective body of yeomen, or freeholders.
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “yeomanry”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details