Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

enfeoff

/ɛnˈfɛf/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.03 in modern English

Syllables
en-feoff
IPA
/ɛnˈfɛf/
16
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To transfer a fief to, to endow with a fief; to put (a person) in legal possession of a freehold interest.

Transitive verb

verb

To give up completely; to surrender, to yield.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Late Middle English enfeffen, enfeoffen (“to grant (property, rights, etc.) under the feudal system”) [and other forms], from Old French enfeffer, enfieffer (compare Anglo-Latin infeoffāre, Anglo-Norman enfeoffer), from en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’) + fief (“estate held by a person on condition of providing military service to a superior”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peḱu- (“livestock, especially sheep or cattle”)). The English word is analysable as en- + feoff.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Prefix: en
  • Root: *peḱ-, enfeffen,enfeoffen, enfeffer, *peḱu-

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɛnˈfɛf/
  • British English: /ɛnˈfɛf/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce enfeoff?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɛnˈfɛf/.
What does enfeoff mean?
To transfer a fief to, to endow with a fief; to put (a person) in legal possession of a freehold interest.
Where does enfeoff come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce enfeoff

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “enfeoff”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɛnˈfɛf/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “enfeoff”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “enfeoff” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.