noun
- a laborer or serf in Anglo-Saxon England bound to the land and owing service to a lord
Usage: archaic; historical
Examples
- The esne worked the lord's fields in exchange for protection and a small plot of land.
- Unlike a slave, an esne could not be sold away from the estate.
- Historical records show that esnes made up a significant portion of the Anglo-Saxon population.
- The status of an esne was hereditary, passing from parent to child.
- An esne's obligations included labor services and a share of the harvest.