VASSAL DEFINITIONS - 13 definitions found
vassal n 1: a person holding a fief; a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord [syn: vassal, liege, liegeman, liege subject, feudatory] vassal - ramicav Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) vassal noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin vassallus, from vassus servant, vassal, of Celtic origin; akin to Welsh gwas young man, servant Date: 14th century 1. a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he has vowed homage and fealty ; a feudal tenant 2. one in a subservient or subordinate position • vassal adjective Oxford English Reference Dictionary
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary vassal (vassals) 1. In feudal society, a vassal was a man who gave military service to a lord, in return for which he was protected by the lord and received land to live on. N-COUNT 2. If you say that one country is a vassal of another, you mean that it is controlled by it. (WRITTEN) Opponents of the treaty argue that monetary union will turn France into a vassal of Germany. N-COUNT: usu sing [disapproval] English Explanatory Dictionary vassal ˈvæsəl n. 1 hist. a holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance. 2 rhet. a humble dependant. øøvassalage n. [ME f. OF f. med.L vassallus retainer, of Celt. orig.: the root vassus corresp. to OBret. uuas, Welsh gwas, Ir. foss: cf. VAVASOUR] English-Old English dictionary vassal Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Vassal \Vas"sal\, n. [F., fr. LL. vassallus, vassus; of Celtic origin; cf. W. & Corn. gwas a youth, page, servant, Arm. gwaz a man, a male. Cf. Valet, Varlet, Vavasor.] 1. (Feud. Law) The grantee of a fief, feud, or fee; one who holds land of superior, and who vows fidelity and homage to him; a feudatory; a feudal tenant. --Burrill. 2. A subject; a dependent; a servant; a slave. ``The vassals of his anger.'' --Milton. Rear vassal, the vassal of a vassal; an arriere vassal. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Vassal \Vas"sal\, a. Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile. The sun and every vassal star. --Keble. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Vassal \Vas"sal\, v. t. To treat as a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl. Soule\'s Dictionary of English Synonyms vassal n. 1. Feudatory, feudal tenant. 2. Subject, dependant, retainer. 3. Servant, bondman, slave. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 47 Moby Thesaurus words for "vassal": bondmaid, bondman, bondslave, bondsman, bondswoman, captive, chattel, chattel slave, churl, client, concubine, creature, debt slave, dependent, feudal, feudatory, flunky, follower, galley slave, hanger-on, helot, homager, inferior, lackey, liege, liege man, liege subject, minion, myrmidon, odalisque, peon, retainer, serf, servant, servile, slave, stooge, subject, subordinate, subservient, theow, thrall, tributary, underling, understrapper, villein, yeoman |
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