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vassal Definition

vas·sal (vasəl)

noun

  1. in the Middle Ages, a person who held land under the feudal system, doing homage and pledging fealty to an overlord, and performing military or other duties in return for his protection; feudal tenant
  2. a subordinate, subject, servant, slave, etc.

Etymology: OFr < ML vassalus, manservant, extension of vassus, servant < Celt: for IE base see valet

adjective

  1. of or like a vassal; dependent, servile, etc.
  2. being a vassal

vassal Synonyms

vassal

n.

vassal Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • become: She that was a princess among the cities has become a vassal.

Converse of subject

  • hold: A fief was the land held by a vassal of a lord in return for stipulated services, chiefly military.

Adjective modifier

  • loyal: Manasseh in the bible was a long lived wicked king, but in the Assyrian annals, he was a loyal vassal.
  • faithful: It seems Hezekiah was at first a faithful vassal of the Assyrians whom he assisted.
  • Assyrian: Hezekiah had to set Padi of Ekron free and he was reinstalled as an Assyrian vassal.
  • new: Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin's uncle Mattaniah ( renamed Zedekiah ) the new vassal ( 2 Kings 24:17 ).
  • Egyptian: Josiah supposedly got in the way and was killed at Megiddo leaving Judah now an Egyptian vassal.
  • mere: In some ways the autocracy was a dictatorship which sat upon thousands of village republics that were mere vassals.

Modifies a noun

  • treaty: Even before Harvey's suggestion others had seen a probable link between these oracles and the covenant regarded as a vassal treaty.
  • king: Secondly - The image involves dominion The vassal king had another purpose in multiplying his image.
  • state: Iran will try to create a vassal state, " the source says.
  • status: During the reign of Sargon II, Hezekiah continued to accept Judah's vassal status.
  • kingdom: If the treaty were to be broken the suzerain could declare that act as the agent of the deities and attack the vassal kingdom.
  • form: Neither of these features provides conclusive proof that the prophets knew the covenant in the vassal treaty form.

Noun used with modifier

  • sillie: Content James VI and I - God's sillie vassal?

Possessives

  • king: These people then became the king's vassals, rather like tenants renting land from the owner.

Preposition: of

  • king: For the king of England, in his capacity as duke of Normandy, was in theory a vassal of the king of France.
  • man: We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes.
vassal Quotes

God's silly vassal.

—Melville, Andrew

Browse dictionary entries near vassal

  1. vasovagal
  2. vasotomy
  3. vasospasm
  4. vasopressor
  5. vasopressin
  6. vasomotor
  7. vasoinhibitor
  8. vasodilator
  9. vasoconstrictor
  10. vasoactive
  1. vassalage
  2. vast
  3. vastitude
  4. vastly
  5. vastness
  6. vasty
  7. vat
  8. vat dye
  9. vatic
  10. Vatican