landdrost

noun

land·​drost
ˈlan(d)ˌdrȯst
variants or less commonly landtrost
-ˌtr-
plural -s
: a Boer magistrate in a rural district of South Africa prior to the establishment of British administration
the special court … of three landdrosts with a juryManfred Nathan

Word History

Etymology

Afrikaans landdros (formerly spelled landdrost), from land land, country (from Middle Dutch) + drost sheriff; akin to Old High German lant land

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Cite this Entry

“Landdrost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/landdrost. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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