portreeve

noun

port·​reeve
ˈpōrt‧ˌrēv
variants or portgrave
-tˌgrāv
or portgreve
-tˌgrēv
plural -s
1
: a bailiff or mayor charged with keeping the peace and with other duties in a port or market borough of early England
2
: the chief officer of a seaport town

Word History

Etymology

portreeve from Middle English portereve, portreve, from Old English portgerēfa, from port + gerēfa reeve; portgreve, Middle English, alteration (influenced by Old English portgerēfa) of portreve; portgrave, alteration (influenced by Middle Dutch portgrave portreeve) of portgreve

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near portreeve

Cite this Entry

“Portreeve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portreeve. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!