noun
- Plural of gleba; in medieval feudalism, portions of land belonging to a parish church or benefice, worked by the clergy or their tenants.
Usage: historical; chiefly British; ecclesiastical
Examples
- The glebae of the parish church provided income for the vicar.
- Medieval records documented the extent of glebae held by each benefice.
- Farmers worked the glebae as part of their obligations to the church.
- The glebae were often the most productive lands in the parish.