*feud*

n. [ OE. feide, AS. f&aemacr_;hð, fr. fāh hostile; akin to OHG. fēhida, G. fehde, Sw. fejd, D. feide; prob. akin to E. fiend. See Foe. ] 1. A combination of kindred to avenge injuries or affronts, done or offered to any of their blood, on the offender and all his race. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A contention or quarrel; especially, an inveterate strife between families, clans, or parties; deadly hatred; contention satisfied only by bloodshed. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mutual feuds and battles betwixt their several tribes and kindreds. Purchas.

Syn. -- Affray; fray; broil; contest; dispute; strife. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. feudum, feodum prob. of same origin as E. fief. See Fief, Fee. ] (Law) A stipendiary estate in land, held of a superior, by service; the right which a vassal or tenant had to the lands or other immovable thing of his lord, to use the same and take the profits thereof hereditarily, rendering to his superior such duties and services as belong to military tenure, etc., the property of the soil always remaining in the lord or superior; a fief; a fee. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. féodal, or LL. feudalis. ] 1. Of or pertaining to feuds, fiefs, or fees; as, feudal rights or services; feudal tenures. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Consisting of, or founded upon, feuds or fiefs; embracing tenures by military services; as, the feudal system. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. féodalisme. ] The feudal system; a system by which the holding of estates in land is made dependent upon an obligation to render military service to the king or feudal superior; feudal principles and usages. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An upholder of feudalism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. féodalité. ] The state or quality of being feudal; feudal form or constitution. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of reducing to feudal tenure. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Feudalized p. pr. & vb. n. Feudalizing ] To reduce to a feudal tenure; to conform to feudalism. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a feudal manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ LL. feudarius, fr. feudum. See 2d Feud. ] Held by, or pertaining to, feudal tenure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A tenant who holds his lands by feudal service; a feudatory. Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A feodary. See Feodary. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. [ LL. feudatarius: cf. F. feudataire. ] See Feudatory. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Feudatories A tenant or vassal who held his lands of a superior on condition of feudal service; the tenant of a feud or fief. [ 1913 Webster ]

The grantee . . . was styled the feudatory or vassal. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ He ] had for feudatories great princes. J. H. Newman. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Held from another on some conditional tenure; as, a feudatory title. Bacon.

n. [ Cf. F. feudiste. ] A writer on feuds; a person versed in feudal law. Spelman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. infeudatio, fr. infeudare to enfeoff: cf. F. inféodation. See Feud a fief. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Law) The act of putting one in possession of an estate in fee. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The granting of tithes to laymen. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Law) (a) The granting of lands by inferior lords to their dependents, to be held by themselves by feudal tenure. Craig. (b) Subordinate tenancy; undertenancy. [ 1913 Webster ]

The widow is immediate tenant to the heir, by a kind of subinfeudation, or undertenancy. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]