the military governor of a German town or castle, esp in the 12th and 13th centuries
2.
a nobleman ruling a German town or castle by hereditary right
Word origin
C16: from German Burggraf, from Old High German burgborough + grāve count
burgrave in American English
(ˈbɜːrɡreiv)
noun German History
1.
the appointed head of a fortress
2.
the hereditary governor of a castle or town
Word origin
[1540–50; ‹ G Burggraf, equiv. to Burg castle, town + Graf count]This word is first recorded in the period 1540–50. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: flare, gondola, labyrinth, mandate, parallel