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fief

fief, domain

noun fyef Rare

Origin: From Frankish fehu (cattle, property), via Old French.

Also means

stronghold, preserve

Usage Note

fief originally denoted land granted by a lord in medieval France, but today it is used figuratively for any personal territory or area of influence. A politician's fief électoral is the constituency they reliably dominate. The plural is fiefs.

Examples

"Ce quartier est son fief depuis vingt ans."

Natural Translation

This neighbourhood has been his stronghold for twenty years.

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