Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
Wapentake — Wap en*take (?; 277), n. [AS. w?penge??c, w?pent[=a]c, from Icel. v[=a]pnat[=a]k, literally, a weapon taking or weapon touching, hence an expression of assent ( si displicuit sententia fremitu aspernantur; sin placuit frameas concutiunt. Tacitus … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
wapentake — division of certain English counties (equivalent to a hundred in other places), O.E. wæpengetæc, from O.N. vapnatak, from vapna, genitive plural of vapn weapon (see WEAPON (Cf. weapon)) + tak touching, from taka to take, grasp. Perhaps it… … Etymology dictionary
wapentake — [wäp′ən tāk΄, wap′ən tāk΄] n. [ME < OE wapentac < ON vapnatak, lit., a weapon taking (< vapn, WEAPON + tak, a taking, commandeering < taka, to TAKE): prob. used territorially from ceremony in which vassals touched the raised spear of… … English World dictionary
wapentake — noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wǣpentæc, from Old Norse vāpnatak act of grasping weapons, from vāpn weapon + tak act of grasping, from taka to take; probably from the brandishing of weapons as an expression of approval when the… … New Collegiate Dictionary
wapentake — /wop euhn tayk , wap /, n. (formerly in N England and the Midlands) a subdivision of a shire or county corresponding to a hundred. [bef. 1000; ME < ON vapnatak (cf. OE waepen getaec) show of weapons at public voting, equiv. to vapna (gen. pl. of… … Universalium
Wapentake — Term used in the *Danelaw for a division or subdivision of a *county; also the court of such a division; equivalent to a southern English *hundred. Wapentake = literally a weapon take , i.e. a place to which arms were not taken, only being taken… … Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases
wapentake — noun /ˈwɒp.ən.teɪk/ An administrative subdivision in northern English counties, developed under Norse influence, and corresponding to hundreds in the rest of England … Wiktionary
wapentake — [ wɒp(ə)nteɪk, wap ] noun historical a subdivision of certain northern and midland English counties, corresponding to a hundred in other counties. Origin OE wpen(ge)tæc, from ON vápnatak, from vápn weapon + taka take , perh. with ref. to voting… … English new terms dictionary
Wapentake — In northern England and the Midlands, a subdivision of a shire; the equivalent of a hundred. ♦ Equivalent of a hundred in the Danelaw. (Wood, Michael. Domesday: A Search for the Roots of England, 214) Related terms: Hide … Medieval glossary
wapentake — wap·en·take … English syllables
