vill

Vill, n. Etym: [OF. ville, vile, a village, F. ville a town, city. See Villa.] Defn: A small collection of houses; a village. "Every manor, town, or vill." Sir M. Hale. Not should e'er the crested fowl From thorp or vill his matins sound for me. Wordsworth. Note: A word of various significations in English, law; as, a manor; a tithing; a town; a township; a parish; a part of a parish; a village. The original meaning of vill, in England, seems to have been derived from the Roman sense of the term villa, a single country residence or farm; a manor. Later, the term was applied only to a collection of houses more than two, and hence came to comprehend towns. Burrill. The statute of Exeter, 14 Edward I., mentions entire- vills, demivills, and hamlets.

---