GROSS, or Grossus, in our ancient law-writers, denotes a thing absolute, and not depending on another. Thus, villain in gross, villanus in grosso, was a servant, who did not belong to the land, but immediately to the person of the lord; or a servile person not appendant, or annexed to the lord or manor, and to go along with the tenures as appurtenant to it; but like other personal goods and chattels of his lord, at his lord's pleasure and disposal.