Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The state of being in the power of another person or under the sway of an influence.
  • noun One, such as a slave or serf, who is held in bondage.
  • noun One who is in the power of another or under the sway of an influence.
  • transitive verb To enslave.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To deprive of liberty; enslave.
  • Figuratively, to put in subjection to some power or influence; enthrall.
  • noun A slave; a serf; a bondman; a captive.
  • noun One who is a slave to some desire, appetite, spell, or other influence; one who is in moral bondage.
  • noun Thraldom, literal or figurative; bondage; slavery; subjection.
  • noun A shelf or stand; a stand for barrels.
  • Enslaved; bond; subjugated.
  • Figuratively, subject; enthralled.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective obsolete Of or pertaining to a thrall; in the condition of a thrall; bond; enslaved.
  • noun A slave; a bondman.
  • noun Slavery; bondage; servitude; thraldom.
  • noun Prov. Eng. A shelf; a stand for barrels, etc.
  • transitive verb Obs. or Poetic To enslave.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun One who is enslaved or mind-controlled.
  • noun uncountable The state of being under the control of another person.
  • verb To make a thrall.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun someone held in bondage
  • noun the state of being under the control of another person

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, slave, slavery, from Old English thrǣl, slave, bondman, from Old Norse thrǣll.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old English þrǣl, from Old Norse þræll ("slave") whence the Icelandic þræll ("slave"); according to ODS probably akin to Old High German drigil, servant, to the Gothic 𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (þragjan) and to the Old English þrægan, to run

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word thrall.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • From the OED online:

    One who is in bondage to a lord or master; a villein, serf, bondman, slave; also, in vaguer use, a servant, subject; transf. one whose liberty is forfeit; a captive, prisoner of war.

    Usage: c950 Lindisfarne Gospels, Mark x. 44 "And sua huæ see wælle in iuh formest wosa bie allra ræl." 991 Laws of Æthelred II. c. 5 §1 "yf Englisc man Deniscne ræl ofslea, ylde hine mid punde."

    Wow.

    March 7, 2007

  • He might be in sexual thrall to Isabel, he might even love her and the danger she represented, but I didn't think his heart and mind were wholly committed to her. -Charlaine Harris, Living Dead in Dallas

    December 11, 2010

  • its penetrating ammonia scent held us in thrall

    August 25, 2011