Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Demesne \De*mesne"\, n. [OE. demeine, demain, rule, demesne, OF.
   demeine, demaine, demeigne, domaine, power, F. domaine
   domain, fr. L. dominium property, right of ownership, fr.
   dominus master, proprietor, owner. See {Dame}, and cf.
   {Demain}, {Domain}, {Danger}, {Dungeon}.] (Law)
   A lord's chief manor place, with that part of the lands
   belonging thereto which has not been granted out in tenancy;
   a house, and the land adjoining, kept for the proprietor's
   own use. [Written also {demain}.] --Wharton's Law Dict.
   Burrill.

   {Ancient demesne}. (Eng. Law) See under {Ancient}.

Ancient \An"cient\, a. [OE. auncien, F. ancien, LL. antianus,
   fr. L. ante before. See {Ante-}, pref.]
   1. Old; that happened or existed in former times, usually at
      a great distance of time; belonging to times long past;
      specifically applied to the times before the fall of the
      Roman empire; -- opposed to {modern}; as, ancient authors,
      literature, history; ancient days.

            Witness those ancient empires of the earth.
                                                  --Milton.

            Gildas Albanius . . . much ancienter than his
            namesake surnamed the Wise.           --Fuller.

   2. Old; that has been of long duration; of long standing; of
      great age; as, an ancient forest; an ancient castle. ``Our
      ancient bickerings.'' --Shak.

            Remove not the ancient landmarks, which thy fathers
            have set.                             --Prov. xxii.
                                                  28.

            An ancient man, strangely habited, asked for
            quarters.                             --Scott.

   3. Known for a long time, or from early times; -- opposed to
      {recent} or {new}; as, the ancient continent.

            A friend, perhaps, or an ancient acquaintance.
                                                  --Barrow.

   4. Dignified, like an aged man; magisterial; venerable.
      [Archaic]

            He wrought but some few hours of the day, and then
            would he seem very grave and ancient. --Holland.

   5. Experienced; versed. [Obs.]

            Though [he] was the youngest brother, yet he was the
            most ancient in the business of the realm.
                                                  --Berners.

   6. Former; sometime. [Obs.]

            They mourned their ancient leader lost. --Pope.

   {Ancient demesne} (Eng. Law), a tenure by which all manors
      belonging to the crown, in the reign of William the
      Conqueror, were held. The numbers, names, etc., of these
      were all entered in a book called Domesday Book.

   {Ancient lights} (Law), windows and other openings which have
      been enjoined without molestation for more than twenty
      years. In England, and in some of the United States, they
      acquire a prescriptive right.

   Syn: Old; primitive; pristine; antique; antiquated;
        old-fashioned; obsolete.

   Usage: {Ancient}, {Antiquated}, {Obsolete}, {Antique},
          {Antic}, {Old}. -- Ancient is opposed to modern, and
          has antiquity; as, an ancient family, ancient
          landmarks, ancient institutions, systems of thought,
          etc. Antiquated describes that which has gone out of
          use or fashion; as, antiquated furniture, antiquated
          laws, rules, etc. Obsolete is commonly used, instead
          of antiquated, in reference to language, customs,
          etc.; as, an obsolete word or phrase, an obsolete
          expression. Antique is applied, in present usage,
          either to that which has come down from the ancients;
          as, an antique cameo, bust, etc.; or to that which is
          made to imitate some ancient work of art; as, an
          antique temple. In the days of Shakespeare, antique
          was often used for ancient; as, ``an antique song,''
          ``an antique Roman;'' and hence, from singularity
          often attached to what is ancient, it was used in the
          sense of grotesque; as, ``an oak whose antique root
          peeps out; '' and hence came our present word antic,
          denoting grotesque or ridiculous. We usually apply
          both ancient and old to things subject to gradual
          decay. We say, an old man, an ancient record; but
          never, the old stars, an old river or mountain. In
          general, however, ancient is opposed to modern, and
          old to new, fresh, or recent. When we speak of a thing
          that existed formerly, which has ceased to exist, we
          commonly use ancient; as, ancient republics, ancient
          heroes; and not old republics, old heroes. But when
          the thing which began or existed in former times is
          still in existence, we use either ancient or old; as,
          ancient statues or paintings, or old statues or
          paintings; ancient authors, or old authors, meaning
          books.