VASSAL

vassal, liege, liegeman, liege subject, feudatory

(noun) a person holding a fief; a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

vassal (plural vassals)

(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.

A subordinate

Synonyms: subject, dependant, servant, slave

Adjective

vassal (not comparable)

Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile.

Verb

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

(transitive) To treat as a vassal or to reduce to the position of a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave.

(transitive) To subordinate to someone or something.

Anagrams

• Salvas, slavas, vasals

Source: Wiktionary

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Vas"sal, n. Etym: [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)

Definition: 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.

Vas"sal, a.

Definition: Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile. The sun and every vassal star. Keble.

Vas"sal, v. t.

Definition: To treat as a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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