= cotset, n. (See quot. 1890.)

A feudal tenant who occupies a cottage in return for providing labour; a cottier, cottager; esp. one who occupies a cottage with no land attached to…

esp. A bondman, a villein; cf. churl, n. Obsolete (after 1500 blending with 1a).

One of the class of serfs in the feudal system; spec. a peasant occupier or cultivator entirely subject to a lord (villein in gross gross, n.4 2e) or…

One of a class of persons subject to tallage (cf. quot. 1888 tallageability n. at tallageable, adj. derivatives); a churl, villein.

A female villein.

A person in a condition of servitude or modified slavery, distinguished from what is conventionally… Used by modern writers with reference to…

In Old English Law: A villein who occupied a cot or cottage with an attached plot of land, held by service of labour. (See note to cottar, n. 1.)

Sometimes used to translate medieval Latin cotārius, applied in Domesday Book to a villein who occupied a cot or cottage with an attached piece…