English

Noun

thrall ‎(plural thralls)

1. One who is enslaved or under mind control.
   • 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The Physician's Tale,

     My servant, which that is my thrall by right

   • 1915, Jack London, The Star Rover,

     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, Mardi,

     Go: release him from the thrall of Hautia.

   • 1889, Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat,

     [Y]our 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, The Easter Egg,

     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

• enthrall
• thralldom

Translations

References

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

Verb

thrall ‎(third-person singular simple present thralls, present participle thralling, simple past and past participle thralled)

1. To make a thrall.