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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
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Senȝeo(u)ry, -ie, Senȝory, Signory, Seignoury(e, -ie, n. Also: senȝ(h)owry, senȝhory, senȝorie, -ery(e, -eorye, -eoré, -eroy, senyhoury, -owry, senyory, -ie, -eoury, sengȝeory, sengoȝerye, seneȝory, -eory, -ie, seneyorie, seneory, seiȝnory, seinȝnery, sein-, seynȝeorie, seingȝery, seinȝeouri, seyhnowry, syngnory, segnorie, seignorie, seygnery, signery, -iory, sigeniery. [ME and e.m.E. seignorie (c1290), seygnorie (1297), seignorye (14th c.), seygnorye (c1400), signory (c1440), seniory (1466), seignourye (Caxton), sygneoury (1509), senyorye (1517), seigniory (a1548), signiorie (1555), segnyorye (1567), segniorie (1586), OF seignorie, seigneurie (c1155 and late 12th c. in Larousse), signorie (OED), f. seigneur Senȝeour n.]

1. The status or authority belonging to a lord or ruler, sovereignty, power, authority, domination, lordship. Also transf.Some examples may belong in 2.(a) 1375 Barb. i 151.
Bot he [sc. Edward I] thocht weile … that he all the senȝhowry Throw his gret mycht suld occupy 1375 Barb. viii 14.
Of Conyngayme the maist party He gert held till his senȝowry 1375 Barb. xii 298 (C).
Covatis [of] senȝhory Amovis thame ?1438 Alex. ii 625.
Thow knawis nocht our kynd, … Na of oure eldaris the senȝeory [F. signorie], Na the renounit cheualry. King Pryam was our antesessour c1420 Ratis R. 736.
How men sal led thaim rychtwisly, And nocht disples His senȝory a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 447.
Nowthir for his senyeoury … Na for dreid of na dede, … I will noght bow me ane bak for berne that is borne 1490 Irland Mir. III 110/4.
This is the rut of senȝory and dominacioun coherciue 1490 Irland Mir. III 113/29.
A iuge lufis iustice … quhen he lufis his king prince or lord, lauborand for the conseruacioun and augmentacioun of his senȝery & lordschip be … kepand … his pepil in pece 1513 Doug. i v 85.
To thir folkis … Nowder term of space nor boundis of senȝeory [Ruddim. senȝeorye] Nane wil I set, for to thame grant haue I Perpetual empyre 1533 Boece 96.
To nane … pepill is the Romane senȝorie vnknawin 1533 Bell. Livy II 250 (BM).
Seneȝeorie [v.r. senȝeorie; L. cupido imperii] Arundel MS 238/18.
With this littill orisoun and prayer, quhilk alanerly pertenis to Thi blissit maiestie, senȝory, and diuinite(b) 1533 Bell. Livy II 22/27.
The memorie of his wikkit and schamfall segnorie(c) a1400 Leg. S. xxiii 180.
The threty-tyd ȝere … Of Theodosis seygnery a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii 50.
[A] mychty knicht [MS mychty king] … Of hye office & seiȝnory a1561 Norvell Meroure 18b.
Syne after them came the breue seignorie Of Macedone 1570 Sat. P. xiv 109.
All thame that faithfully restorde Me to my crowne and seignorie a1586 Lindsay MS 63b.
In seinȝeorie is grit noblesse(d) a1400 Leg. S. xxxi 757.
For he office & signory Gerris men mysdo commonly a1400 Leg. S. xxxvii 106.
Sigeniery 1533 Bell. Livy I 302/23, 25.
How … it was happynnyt that thir ten men suld be impugnit, specially be sic men as reiosit the signorie thareof in the ȝere afore. ‘Quhat is the caus’ said he ‘That na man impugnit, this new signorie sa mony monethis bipast?’ 1533 Bell. Livy II 17/12.
Quhat signorie [L. quod antem istud imperium est], quhat wikkit empire is this … that ȝe pretend? 1632 Lithgow Trav. ii 64.
The Ilanders [sc. of Zante] are Greekes … but the Signiory thereof belongeth to Venicetransf. a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 330.
Crist … Of deid oure-come the signery 1535 Stewart 7457.
Vespacian syne efter all his dais Vsit this sword … Traistand thairwith the victorie to win, Into that swerd he put sic senȝorie

b. With verbs or other constructions expressing the gaining or possession of power or lordship. Also transf.(a) 1375 Barb. i 97.
Haid ȝe tane keip how at that king … Trawayllyt for to wyn senȝhory ?1438 Alex. ii 641.
Gaudifeir … this citie … Was geuin in to mariage And all this land in heretage Bot Clarus now clamis senȝeory c1420 Wynt. i 514.
In the north art of Sythy Caspnyus had the senyhoury [E. senȝerye] 1456 Hay I 37/3.
That king sett him to have senȝeoury of all the Orient 1460 Hay Alex. 17268.
The prophecye That Alexander suld iois that sengoȝerye a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1320.
Sen vourschipfull Wawane hes wonnyn to your handis The senyory in gouernyng Cumly conquerour and kyng 1513 Doug. ii vii 7.
The ancyant, worthy cite down is fall That mony ȝeris held hie senȝeory [Sm. sengȝeory, Ruddim. seneory; L. multos dominata per annos] 1513 Doug. iv v 104.
He suld haue beyn wys, sage and grave, Hie senȝeoreis and gret empyre to have 1513 Doug. viii iii 10.
The kyng Evander, of moblys nocht mychty Held for that tyme bot sobyr senȝeory [L. tum res inopes Euandrus habebat](b) c1420 Wynt. i 338.
Coryne that … aucht the seyhnowry [E. senȝery, W. senȝeory] Off Cornwalle 1456 Hay I 65/15.
Octovian … quhen his eme Julius Cesar was dede … come to ask the seignoury of Rome efter his eme 1456 Hay I 107/11.
The emperour … suld have dominacioun and seignoury apon thame 1456 Hay (Glenn) III 1/9.
The hye almychty prince of hevyn, quhilk has dominacioun and seignoury apon the vij planetis of the hevyn 1456 Hay (Glenn) III 1/14, 15.
As kingis and princis has dominacioun and seignoury here apon all knychtis, sa suld knychtis haue dominacioun and seignourye subordinate of the princis and lordis behaluetransf. 1494 Loutfut MS 83a.
The vii planetis that makis the cours celestiall and has power & senȝeory in governing … the bodyes terrestree

c. With verbs or other constructions expressing subjection.(1) 1375 Barb. ix 304.
The north cuntreys … humbly Obeysyt till his senȝowry 1375 Barb. xi 46.
Off Scotland ȝeit a party Duellis wnder his senȝowry c1420 Wynt. ix 1488.
All landis lyand nere yow by Yhe supprys wyth senyhowry; Othir yhe wyn thame to youre crown Or haldis thame in subjectiown 1460 Hay Alex. 2822.
Thai haid of him [sc. Alexander] in prophecie That all suld bow vnto his senȝeorie 1460 Hay Alex. 3985.
The lordis of this land alhalely Thinkis all to ȝeild thame to th[y] seingȝery 1531 Bell. Boece I xxiv.
Gif thair [sc. the Albians'] realmes … micht cum under the empire and senyorie of ane king 1533 Boece 96.
In all partis Romanis … tryumphis and to thare senȝeorie subiectis all impiris 1535 Stewart 20321.
He dressit him till go To Gallia and other landis mo, For to subdew thame to his senȝeorie(2) c1460 Regim. Princ. 144 (Maitl.).
Quhen Rome was regent be wysmen senaturis In iustice and in publict politey Our all this erde thai war lordis and victuris And tuik tribute for souerane senȝorie

d. As a complimentary title or mode of address, used to a sovereign. 1460 Hay Alex. 4541.
The Prince Anthiothus Till Dare … ansure sendis thus: Plesis it to ȝoure mychty magnificence [etc.] … We mak this knawin to thai seynȝeorie And quhare thow ws commandis [etc.] 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 249.
Souerane, consaue this simpyll similytude Off officiaris seruyng thy senȝeorie

2. The territory under the dominion of a particular lord; a domain. Also pl.Some examples may belong in 1. 1375 Barb. xv 328.
A knycht of gret renoune And in-till Gascoune his contre Lord off gret senȝowry [C. senȝeroy] wes he a1400 Leg. S. ix 140.
Mychtyly He [sc. Christ] put hym [sc. the devil] owte Of his ald seinȝnery a1400 Leg. S. xxv 274.
[He] gert hyme wed a ȝung lady, That had castel and syngnory c1420 Wynt. viii 4272.
The Erle off Atholle than Dawy Throwch the Stwartis senyhowry Had tane manrent and fewte 1456 Hay I 48/1.
Cartage kepit the Cicil and othir ilis … to mak obeysaunce to Rome, for thai sett thame to occupy the senȝeoury of thaim be force of armes 1460 Hay Alex. 1100.
Tell me … Quhare thow was born and of quhat senȝeorie, For as me think it schawis in thi visag That thow art cumin of sum nobill parage a1500 Sir Eger 2535.
They cryed a banket … All would come to that seneyorie, And knights to honour that lady 1531 Bell. Boece II 137.
He eikit the senyory of Florence, with sindry townis, to thair dominion 1533 Boece 247.
Multitude of … barbaris wanderit throw the world euer infesting the Romane seneȝeory with miserie and troubilpl. 1531 Bell. Boece II 142.
The Romane empire wes devidit in two senyoryis 1533 Boece 27.
How Robert the secund was crownit … How till his sonnys he gaif erldomes and seneȝoryis 1549 Lamb Resonyng 119/5.
This Edward Ballioll … wes schortlie deposit fra the crown of Scotland and levit eftir as ane prevat man in France vpone his Frenche seinȝeouris 1622-6 Bisset I 39/14.
Within this oure realme, places, landis and senȝeories

3. The lords or aristocracy of a country, collectively. c1420 Wynt. ii 807.
Thai dowtyd at hys senyhoury Suld thame abawndown halyly 1460 Hay Alex. 10747.
The king … callit to counsale all the seneȝory a1500 Seven S. 1524.
The daye come of the maniory Quhen set was all the senȝeory

b. specif. In the Roman state: Those in whom power or authority is vested.Only in Bell. Livy, tr. L. imperium. 1533 Bell. Livy II 11/26.
Seand this new signorie of ten men vincust be violence and force of pepil [L. videt imperium vi victum] 1533 Bell. Livy I 302/25 (see 1 (d) above).