a subdivision of certain shires or counties, esp in the Midlands and North of England, corresponding to the hundred in other shires
Word origin
Old English wǣpen(ge)tæc, from Old Norse vāpnatak, from vápnweapon + taktake
wapentake in American English
(ˈwɑpənˌteɪk; ˈwæpənˌteɪk)
noun
Obsolete
in England,
a.
a subdivision of certain northern counties originally under Norse domination, corresponding to the hundred in other counties
b.
a law court in such a subdivision
Word origin
ME < OE wapentac < ON vapnatak, lit., a weapon-taking (< vapn, weapon + tak, a taking, commandeering < taka, to take): prob. used territorially from ceremony in which vassals touched the raised spearof the lord with their own as token of submission