margrave
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margrave¹
- /ˈmɑːɡɹeɪv/ UK
- /ˈmɑɹɡɹeɪv/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle Dutch marcgrāve (modern Dutch markgraaf), cognate with Old High German marcgrāvo (modern German Markgraf), from Proto-Germanic *markō (“boundary; boundary marker”) + *grafa (“military rank”), from Latin graphio. More at mark, graft.
Compare marchion, marquis, landgrave.
noun margraves · margraf · markgraf · markgrave
- A feudal era military-administrative officer of comital rank in the Carolingian empire and some successor states, originally in charge of a border area. 1973: Among pulverised heads of stone margraves and electors, reconnoitering a likely-looking cabbage patch, all of a sudden Slothrop picks up the scent of an unmistakable no it can’t be yes it is it’s a REEFER! — Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow
- A hereditary ruling prince in certain feudal states of the Holy Roman Empire and elsewhere; the titular equivalent became known as marquis or marquess. The Margrave of Bruges was their head.
Margrave²
proper noun
- A surname.
Translations
Talk about this word "margrave." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/margrave. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. margrave. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/margrave "margrave." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/margrave.Cite this
@misc{margrave_2026,
title = {margrave},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/margrave},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
