An archaic legal term meaning the illegal appropriation or assumption of a feudal right or office by someone not entitled to it.
From Old French 'abrocher' (to approach or assume illegally) derived from 'a-' (to) + 'broche' (spit, pointed weapon, figuratively 'to thrust oneself'). The word is extremely rare in modern English.
This delightfully obscure medieval word captures how seriously feudal societies took rank and rights—'abbroachment' was a criminal act of pretending to have a title you didn't own, and knowing the legal term for it shows medieval lawyers' obsession with order.
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