• Thrall

    Pronunciation

    • UK IPA: /θrɔːl/
    • US IPA: /θrÉ”l/, /θrÉ‘l/
    • Rhymes: -ɔːl

    Origin

    From Middle English thral, thralle, threl, threlle, from Old English þrǣl ("thrall, slave, servant"), from Old Norse þræll ("slave") whence the Icelandic þræll ("slave"), from Proto-Germanic *þrahilaz, *þragilaz, *þrigilaz ("runner, gofer, servant"), from Proto-Indo-European *trāgʰ- ("to pull, drag, race, run"); according to probably akin to Old High German drigil, servant, to the Gothic 𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 and to the Old English þrǣġan ("to run")

    Etymology according to ODS: muligvis beslægtet med oht. drigil, tjener, og got. þragjan, oeng. þrægan, løbe

    Full definition of thrall

    Noun

    thrall

    (plural thralls)
    1. One who is enslaved or under mind control.
      • 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, , ,My servant, which that is my thrall by right
      • 1915, Jack London, ,And there were household slaves in golden collars that burned of a plenty there with her, and nine female thralls, and eight male slaves of the Angles that were of gentle birth and battle-captured.
    2. (uncountable) The state of being under the control of another person.
      • 1864, Herman Melville, ,Go: release him from the thrall of Hautia.
      • 1889, Jerome K. Jerome, ,Your friend, John Edward, is at the other end of the room with his whole soul held in thrall by photographs of other people's relatives.
      • 1911, Saki, ,In her brain she was dimly conscious of balancing, or striving to balance, the abject shame which had him now in thrall against the one compelling act of courage which had flung him grandly and madly on to the point of danger.
    3. A shelf; a stand for barrels, etc.

    Related terms

    Verb

    1. To make a thrall.
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