noun
- Plural of burgrave; a German nobleman or military commander who governed a fortified town or castle during the Middle Ages.
Usage: historical; archaic
Examples
- The burgraves of the Rhine Valley held considerable power over their territories.
- Medieval burgraves were responsible for defending their castles and collecting taxes.
- Several burgraves united to resist the expansion of the Holy Roman Emperor.
- The title of burgrave was hereditary in some German noble families.