Word
glebe
Countable noun
Definition
n. a piece of land that belongs to a local church and helps support the priest.
n. a tract of land attached to a parish church and held as part of a clergyman's benefice to provide income. Historically farmed directly or leased to tenants.
Examples
“The old priest farms the glebe behind the church.”
“The parish rents out the glebe to a local farmer to help pay for church repairs.”
“The overgrown glebe, once tilled by successive vicars to supplement a meagre stipend, now stands leased to a neighbouring estate.”
Examples
simple
“The old priest farms the glebe behind the church.”
contextual
“The parish rents out the glebe to a local farmer to help pay for church repairs.”
complex
“The overgrown glebe, once tilled by successive vicars to supplement a meagre stipend, now stands leased to a neighbouring estate.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “glebe” in context.
Verb
01. administer glebe
“Churchwardens helped administer glebe and collect rents for the incumbent.”
verb + noun
02. encroach on glebe
“Developers were forbidden to encroach on glebe bordering the churchyard.”
verb + prep + noun
03. farm glebe
“Tenant farmers continued to farm glebe under licence from the diocese.”
verb + noun
04. glebe yields
“In good years the glebe yields sufficient income to maintain the rectory.”
noun + verb
05. lease glebe
“The vestry voted to lease glebe to fund urgent repairs to the chancel.”
verb + noun
06. live off glebe
“The curate and his family lived off glebe and modest tithes.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
07. ancient glebe
“The footpath crosses ancient glebe once cultivated to support the parish priest.”
adj + noun
08. ecclesiastical glebe
“Scholars surveyed ecclesiastical glebe to trace changes in rural land tenure.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. acre of glebe
“The terrier records every acre of glebe belonging to the benefice.”
noun + prep + noun
10. parcel of glebe
“A small parcel of glebe was exchanged for land nearer the village.”
noun + prep + noun
11. farm the parish glebe
“His family had farmed the parish glebe for three generations.”
12. lease out the glebe
“The diocese decided to lease out the glebe to a local cooperative.”
Etymology
From Old French glebe, from Latin glaeba (“lump of earth, clod”). Doublet of gleba.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/glebe