Manor, Mansion

MANOR - This word is derived from the French manoir, and signifies, a house, residence, or habitation. At present its meaning is more enlarged, and includes not only a dwelling-house, but also lands.

By the English law, a manor is a tract of land originally granted by the king to a person of rank, part of which was given by the grantee to his followers, and the rest lie retained under the name of his demesnes; that which remained uncultivated was called the lord's waste, and served for public roads and common of pasture for the lord and his tenants.

MANSION - This term is synonymous with house. A portion only of a building may come under the description of a mansion-house.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.