13 definitions found for vassal

Vassal VAS'SAL, n.
1. A feudatory; a tenant; one who holds land of a superior, and who vows fidelity and homage to him. A rear vassal is one who holds of a lord who is himself a vassal.
2. A subject; a dependant.
3. A servant.
4. In common language, a bondman; a political slave. We will never be the vassals of a foreign prince.
VAS'SAL, v.t. To subject to control; to enslave.

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

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

vassal
n.
1 hist. a holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance.
2 rhet. a humble dependant.
Derivatives:
vassalage n.
Etymology: ME f. OF f. med.L vassallus retainer, of Celt. orig.: the root vassus corresp. to OBret. uuas, Welsh gwas, Ir. foss: cf. VAVASOUR

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]

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]

vassal
magoðegn, þegn, ðegn

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.

Vassal Vas"sal, a. Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile. The sun and every vassal star. --Keble.

Vassal Vas"sal, v. t. To treat as a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl.

vassal n. 1. Feudatory, feudal tenant. 2. Subject, dependant, retainer. 3. Servant, bondman, slave.

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