arrière-ban

American  

[ar-ee-er-ban, a-ryer-bahn] / ˈær iˌɛrˈbæn, a ryɛrˈbɑ̃ /

noun

plural

arrière-bans

1. a group of vassals who owed military service, especially to French kings.

2. the summoning by a medieval ruler of all vassals and free men for military service.

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arrière-ban British  

/ arjɛrbɑ̃ /

noun

1. (in medieval France) a summons to the king's vassals to do military service

2. the vassals so assembled for military service

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Etymology

Origin of arrière-ban

First recorded in 1515–25; from French, alteration (by association with arrière “behind, rear”) of Old French arban, herban, from Germanic; compare Old High German hari “army,” ban “proclamation”; arrears, ban ²

Example Sentences

Speaking generally, they belonged to the small nobility who fell under the category of the arrière-ban in time of war.

From Two Summers in Guyenne by Barker, Edward Harrison

The warriors were summoned by the heribannum, or army- edict; whence is derived the French arrière-ban.

From The Germany and the Agricola of Tacitus by Tacitus, Cornelius

Louis, in the mean while, had convoked the ban and arrière-ban of the contiguous French provinces, and mustered an array of chivalry and feudal militia amounting, according to the Spanish historians, to thirty thousand men.

From The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic — Volume 1 by Prescott, William Hickling

As for myself, I am going to move heaven and earth for you, or, what is worth more, I am going to stir up the arrière-ban of the sacristies.

From The Grip of Desire by France, Hector

He assembled the ban et arrière-ban of science, and armed himself cap-à-pie in knowledge for her defence.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 62, No. 383, September 1847 by Various