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arrière-ban definition

arrière·-ban (ar′ē er′ban′; Fr ȧ ryer bän′)

noun

  1. in medieval France, a king's summoning of his vassals to do their military duty
  2. the vassals so summoned

Etymology: Fr, altered by folk etym., after arrière (see arrears) < OFr harbon < OHG hariban, conscription < hari, army + ban, command under penalty

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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