purpresture
English
Alternative forms
- pourpresture (rare)
Etymology
1150–1200, Middle English, from Anglo-Norman; alteration of Old French porpresure (enclosure, occupied space), from porprendre (to seize, occupy, enclose), from por- (for) + prendre (to take); from Latin prehendere.
Noun
purpresture (countable and uncountable, plural purprestures)
- The unlawful personal appropriation of public lands; wrongful encroachment on, or enclosure of properties belonging to the public (e.g. highways, sidewalks, forests, harbors).
Old French
Noun
purpresture f (oblique plural purprestures, nominative singular purpresture, nominative plural purprestures)
- (Anglo-Norman) purpresture; illegal seizure
References
- purpresture on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub