Villager to Vine
Villager
(Vil"la*ger) n. An inhabitant of a village.
Brutus had rather be a villager
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard condition.
Shak. Villagery
(Vil"lage*ry) n. Villages; a district of villages. [Obs.] "The maidens of the villagery." Shak.
Villain
(Vil"lain) n. [OE. vilein, F. vilain, LL. villanus, from villa a village, L. villa a farm. See Villa.]
1. (Feudal Law) One who holds lands by a base, or servile, tenure, or in villenage; a feudal tenant of
the lowest class, a bondman or servant. [In this sense written also villan, and villein.]
If any of my ansectors was a tenant, and a servant, and held his lands as a villain to his lord, his posterity
also must do so, though accidentally they become noble.
Jer. Taylor. Villains were of two sorts; villains regardant, that is, annexed to the manor (LL. adscripti glebæ); and villains
in gross, that is, annexed to the person of their lord, and transferable from one to another. Blackstone.
2. A baseborn or clownish person; a boor. [R.]
Pour the blood of the villain in one basin, and the blood of the gentleman in another, what difference
shall there be proved?
Becon. 3. A vile, wicked person; a man extremely depraved, and capable or guilty of great crimes; a deliberate
scoundrel; a knave; a rascal; a scamp.
Like a villain with a smiling cheek.
Shak.
Calm, thinking villains, whom no faith could fix.
Pope. Villain
(Vil"lain), a. [F. vilain.] Villainous. [R.] Shak.
Villain
(Vil"lain), v. t. To debase; to degrade. [Obs.] Sir T. More.
Villainous
(Vil"lain*ous) a. [Written also villanous.]
1. Base; vile; mean; depraved; as, a villainous person or wretch.
2. Proceeding from, or showing, extreme depravity; suited to a villain; as, a villainous action.
3. Sorry; mean; mischievous; — in a familiar sense. "A villainous trick of thine eye." Shak.
Villainous judgment (O. E. Law), a judgment that casts reproach on the guilty person.
—- Vil"lain*ous*ly, adv. Vil"lain*ous*ness, n.
Villainy
(Vil"lain*y) n.; pl. Villainies [OE. vilanie, OF. vilanie, vilainie, vileinie, vilanie, LL. villania.
See Villain, n.] [Written also villany.]
1. The quality or state of being a villain, or villainous; extreme depravity; atrocious wickedness; as, the
villainy of the seducer. "Lucre of vilanye." Chaucer.
The commendation is not in his wit, but in his villainy.
Shak.
