termon

T1E1R1M3O1N1

noun

An area of land belonging to a church or monastery

Similar
termon land
Scrabble 8

Meanings

termon1

nountermon (plural termons)

plural termons

  1. IrelandhistoricalAn area of land belonging to a church or monastery

    Hugh MacMahon out of the way, he in October 1591 partitioned Monaghan (with the exception of Donnamyne, which belonged to the Earl of Essex) among the principal gentlemen of the MacMahons, the termon or ecclesiastical lands being reserved for English officials.

    c. 1900, Robert Dunlop, Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900 : Fitzwilliam, William (1526-1599)
    1 more example

    Another time, when Patrick was at rest in the end of night, at Tiprad-Cernai, in Tir-Tipraid, the angel went to him and awoke him. Patrick said to him: "Is there anything in which I have offended God, or is His anger upon me?" "No," said the angel; "and you are informed from God," added the angel, "if it is it you desire, that there shall be no share for any else in Eriu, but for you alone. And the extent of the termon of your see from God is to Droma-Bregh, and to Sliabh-Mis, and to Bri-Airghi."

    1874, James O'Leary translating Saint Patrick, Tripartite Life

    Synonyms: termon land

Termon2

nounTermon (uncountable)
  1. uncountableboundary of the monastic grounds, generally marked by a stone cross

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn area of land belonging to a church or monastery

Similar
termon land

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*terh₂-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ter-?
  3. Proto-Indo-European*térmn̥
  4. Proto-Italic*termn̥
  5. Proto-Italic*term(e)nos
  6. Latinterminus
  7. Middle Irishtermonn
  8. Irishtearmann
  9. Englishtermon

From Irish tearmann, from Middle Irish termonn (“church land affording right of sanctuary”), from Latin terminus (“limit”). Doublet of term and terminus.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

termon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/termon

MLA

“termon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/termon. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “termon,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/termon.

Source: termon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.