Dictionary

margrave en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈmɑːɡɹeɪv/ (UK)
• /ˈmɑɹɡɹeɪv/ (US)

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (historical) 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
2. (historical) 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. 1516, Thomas More, chapter 1, in Utopia:

Forms

Deriveds

margraviate · margravely · margravate · margravial · margravine

Relateds

landgrave · burgrave · waldgrave · palsgrave

Translations (52)

km ចៅបច្ចន្តជនបទ (military officer in charge of German border area) · it margravio (hereditary prince) · mk ма́ркгроф (hereditary prince) · fr margrave (military officer in charge of German border area) · ca marcgravi (military officer in charge of German border area) · km ពញា (hereditary prince) · dum marcgrave (hereditary prince) · de Markgraf (military officer in charge of German border area) · bg маркграф (hereditary prince) · hu márki (hereditary prince) · ru маркгра́ф (hereditary prince) · el μαργράβος (hereditary prince) · cs markrabě (military officer in charge of German border area) · pl margrabia (hereditary prince) · is markgreifi (military officer in charge of German border area) · fi rajakreivi (military officer in charge of German border area) · cs markrabě (hereditary prince) · fa مرزبان (hereditary prince) · mk ма́ркгроф (military officer in charge of German border area) · nl markgraaf (hereditary prince) · pt margrave (military officer in charge of German border area) · da markgreve (military officer in charge of German border area) · sv markgreve (hereditary prince) · ru маркгра́ф (military officer in charge of German border area) · eo margrafo (military officer in charge of German border area) · ca marquès (military officer in charge of German border area) · eo margrafo (hereditary prince) · da markgreve (hereditary prince) · dum marcgrave (military officer in charge of German border area) · th มาร์เกรฟ (military officer in charge of German border area) · th มาร์เกรฟ (hereditary prince) · es margrave (hereditary prince) · pt margrave (hereditary prince) · el μαργράβος (military officer in charge of German border area) · sv markgreve (military officer in charge of German border area) · ko 변경백 (military officer in charge of German border area) · fi rajakreivi (hereditary prince) · gl margrave (military officer in charge of German border area) · cmn 藩侯 (military officer in charge of German border area) · nl markgraaf (military officer in charge of German border area) · hu őrgróf (hereditary prince) · bg маркграф (military officer in charge of German border area) · ka მარკგრაფი (military officer in charge of German border area) · ja 辺境伯 (military officer in charge of German border area) · fa مرزبان (military officer in charge of German border area) · de Markgraf (hereditary prince) · km ឧកញ៉ា (hereditary prince) · nl markies (hereditary prince) · is markgreifi (hereditary prince) · pl margrabia (military officer in charge of German border area) · ca marcgravi (hereditary prince) · it margravio (military officer in charge of German border area)