plural of reeve; a local official or administrator in medieval England with authority to collect taxes and enforce laws.
From Old English 'gerefa,' related to Germanic roots meaning manager or chief. In medieval times, the reeve was the king's representative in a shire or hundred.
Reeves were like the middle managers of medieval England—answerable to nobles above and common people below, which made them unpopular figures. Many old English surnames like 'Reeves' come from this occupation.
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