vassal
noun/ˈvæsl/
/ˈvæsl/
- a man in the Middle Ages who promised to fight for and show support for a king or other powerful owner of land, in return for being given land to live on
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- a country that depends on and is controlled by another country
- a vassal state
Word Originlate Middle English: via Old French from medieval Latin vassallus ‘retainer’, of Celtic origin.
Check pronunciation:
vassal