yeomanry
yeomanry
Noun
This term describes a specific social stratum of independent farmers who owned their land rather than renting it. It carries a connotation of stability, self-reliance, and a middle-class rural identity that bridged the gap between the peasantry and the landed gentry.
Grammatically, the word functions as a collective noun. While it refers to a group, it is treated as a plural entity in usage, particularly when referring to the people within the class or the members of the cavalry force, often taking a plural verb as seen in phrases like the yeomanry were.
Meanings
Nounyeomanry
Examples
The local yeomanry provided a stable middle class for the rural economy.
The government called upon the yeomanry to maintain order during the riots.
He was born into the yeomanry and spent his life farming his own soil.
Look at those riders from the county yeomanry patrolling the road.
The strength of the English countryside once lay in its sturdy yeomanry.
I wonder if the yeomanry will be deployed to the coast for defense.
The yeomanry were often seen as a bridge between the peasantry and the gentry.
The captain ordered the yeomanry to form a line and charge.