Burgess

Quick meaning: Burgess is a noun meaning An inhabitant of a borough with full rights; a citizen.

Meaning

An inhabitant of a borough with full rights; a citizen.

More Meanings

1. (historical) A town magistrate.
2. (historical, UK) A representative of a borough in the Parliament.
3. (historical, US) A member of the House of Burgesses, a legislative body in colonial America, established by the Virginia Company to provide civil rule in the colonies.

Example Sentences

In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass. In this way all respectable burgesses, down to fifty years ago, spent their evenings.

If any burgess be appealed of a plea whereon wager of battle may issue by a villein or outdweller , let him defend himself by oath, that is to say by the 36 men, unless he is challenged in respect of a crime that the law requires him to defend by battle, in no case ought a burgess to fight against a villein if he have challenged him unless before the dispute he shall have quitted the burgage.

Word Forms

• burgesses

Synonyms for burgess

Depending on context, synonyms include burgher.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include burgher, townsman, freeman, freeholder, elector, citizen.

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