| What does vassal mean? | we found 9 entries for the meaning of vassal |
VASSAL, feudal law. This was the name given to the holder of a fief, bound
to perform feudal service; this word was then always correlative to that of
lord, entitled to such service.
2. The vassal himself might be lord of some other vassal.
3. In aftertimes, this word was used to signify a species of slave who
owed servitude, and was in a state of dependency on a superior lord. 2 Bl.
Com. 53; Merl. Repert. h.t.
Source: Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) | ![]() |
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.]
[1913 Webster]
1. (Feud. Law) The grantee of a fief, feud, or fee; one who
holds land of a superior, and who vows fidelity and homage
to him; a feudatory; a feudal tenant. --Burrill.
[1913 Webster]
2. A subject; a dependent; a servant; a bondman; a slave.
"The vassals of his anger." --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
Rear vassal, the vassal of a vassal; an arriere vassal.
[1913 Webster]
Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 | ![]() |
Vassal \Vas"sal\, a.
Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile.
[1913 Webster]
The sun and every vassal star. --Keble.
[1913 Webster]
Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 | ![]() |
Vassal \Vas"sal\, v. t.
To treat as a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave.
[Obs.]
--Beau. & Fl.
[1913 Webster]
Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 | ![]() |
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
Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 | ![]() |
vassal noun
a person holding a fief [syn: liege, liegeman, liege
subject, feudatory]
Source: WordNet (r) 2.0 | ![]() |
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.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) | ![]() |
Vassal \Vas"sal\, a.
Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile.
The sun and every vassal star. --Keble.
Source: 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.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) | ![]() |
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