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Webster 1913 Edition


Vassal

Vas′sal

,
Noun.
[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 a superior, and who vows fidelity and homage to him; a feudatory; a feudal tenant.
Burrill.
2.
A subject; a dependent; a servant; a bondman; a slave.
“The vassals of his anger.”
Milton.
Rear vassal
,
the vassal of a vassal; an arriere vassal.

Vas′sal

,
Adj.
Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile.
The sun and every
vassal
star.
Keble.

Vas′sal

,
Verb.
T.
To treat as a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave.
[Obs.]
Beau. & Fl.

Webster 1828 Edition


Vassal

VAS'SAL

,
Noun.
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

,
Verb.
T.
To subject to control; to enslave.

Definition 2024


vassal

vassal

English

Alternative forms

Noun

vassal (plural vassals)

  1. (historical) The grantee of a fief, feud, or fee; one who keeps land of a superior, and who vows fidelity and homage to him, normally a lord of a manor; a feudatory; a feudal tenant.
  2. A subject; a dependant; a servant; a slave.
    • Milton
      The vassals of his anger.

Related terms

Translations

Adjective

vassal (not comparable)

  1. Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile.

Translations

Verb

vassal (third-person singular simple present vassals, present participle vassalling, simple past and past participle vassalled)

  1. (transitive) To treat as a vassal or to reduce to the position of a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave.
  2. (transitive) To subordinate to someone or something.

Translations

Anagrams


French

Etymology

From Old French vassal, from Medieval Latin vassallus (manservant, domestic, retainer), from vassus (servant), from Gaulish *wassos (young man, squire), from Proto-Celtic *wastos (servant) (compare Old Irish foss and Welsh gwas).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /va.sal/

Adjective

vassal m (feminine singular vassale, masculine plural vassaux, feminine plural vassales)

  1. vassal

Noun

vassal m (plural vassaux, feminine vassale)

  1. a vassal

Anagrams


Hungarian

Etymology

vas + -val

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈvɒʃːɒl]
  • Hyphenation: vas‧sal

Noun

vassal

  1. instrumental singular of vas

Old French

Noun

vassal m (oblique plural vassaus or vassax or vassals, nominative singular vassaus or vassax or vassals, nominative plural vassal)

  1. vassal

Descendants