demesnes

Noun

demesne (plural demesnes)

1. A lord's chief manor place, with that part of the lands belonging thereto which has not been granted out in tenancy; a house, and the land adjoining, kept for the proprietor's own use.
   • And whanne he sawe that he lete charce her oute of this land and bytoke hit me and alle this land in my demenys
     And when he saw that, he let chase her out of this land, and betook it me, and all this land in my demesnes.1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XVI, Chapter vii leaf 337r
2. A region or area; a domain.
   • Oft of one wide expanse had I been told / That deep-brow'd Homer ruled as his demesne; […]1816 December 1, John Keats, “[Sonnets.] Sonnet XI. On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer.”, in Poems, London: […] [Charles Richards] for C[harles] & J[ames] Ollier, […], published 3 March 1817...