To hoM in fee

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

To hold as one's lawful and absolute possession. Once did she hold the gorgeous east in fee: And was the safeguard of the west.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “To hoM in fee” mean?

To hold as one's lawful and absolute possession. Once did she hold the gorgeous east in fee: And was the safeguard of the west.

Is “To hoM in fee” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.