arrière-ban

[ ar-ee-er-ban; French a-ryer-bahn ]

noun,plural ar·ri·ère-bans [ar-ee-er-banz; French a-ryer-bahn]. /ˈær iˌɛrˈbænz; French a ryɛrˈbɑ̃/.
  1. a group of vassals who owed military service, especially to French kings.

  2. the summoning by a medieval ruler of all vassals and free men for military service.

Origin of arrière-ban

1
First recorded in 1515–25; from French, alteration (by association with arrière “behind, rear”) of Old French arban, herban, from Germanic; compare Old High German hari “army,” ban “proclamation”; see arrears, ban2

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for arrière-ban

arrière-ban

/ French (arjɛrbɑ̃) /


noun
  1. (in medieval France) a summons to the king's vassals to do military service

  2. the vassals so assembled for military service

Origin of arrière-ban

1
C16: changed from Old French herban call to arms, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German heriban, from heri army + ban summons, ban ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012