Arriere-ban

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Arriere-ban \Ar*riere"-ban`\, n. [F., fr. OE. arban, heriban,
     fr. OHG. hariban, heriban, G. heerbann, the calling together
     of an army; OHG. heri an army + ban a public call or order.
     The French have misunderstood their old word, and have
     changed it into arri[`e]re-ban, though arri[`e]re has no
     connection with its proper meaning. See {Ban}, {Abandon}.]


     A proclamation, as of the French kings, calling not only
     their immediate feudatories, but the vassals of these
     feudatories, to take the field for war; also, the body of
     vassals called or liable to be called to arms, as in ancient
     France.
     [1913 Webster]