thane
or thegn
Early English History. a member of any of several aristocratic classes of men ranking between earls and ordinary freemen, and granted lands by the king or by lords for military service.
Scottish History. a person, ranking with an earl's son, holding lands of the king; the chief of a clan, who became one of the king's barons.
Origin of thane
1Other words from thane
- un·der·thane, noun
Words Nearby thane
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use thane in a sentence
In August 2001, a politician in thane, the sprawling city northeast of Mumbai, died in the Singhania hospital there.
Mumbai on Edge With Shiv Sena Founder Bal Thackeray Ill | Dilip D’Souza | November 16, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTthane Creech, too, has his doubts that President Obama can deliver.
"It shall be seen that I am not ungrateful to the thane, my master, hereafter--if I may live after seeing this place," he said.
A Prince of Cornwall | Charles W. WhistlerThe hero is a young thane who wins the favor of Earl Harold and becomes one of his retinue.
A Roving Commission | G. A. HentyIt will not probably be offered to any Scotsman, for fear of popular reflections concerning the influence of the thane.
Life and Correspondence of David Hume, Volume II (of 2) | John Hill Burton
"thane" is here used in the loose and popular sense to signify the resident owner of considerable territorial possessions.
A History of Police in England | W. L. Melville LeeAnd he bade me take my place as thane of Reedham, confirming me in all rights that had been my father's.
Wulfric the Weapon Thane | Charles W. Whistler
British Dictionary definitions for thane
commonly thegn
/ (θeɪn) /
(in Anglo-Saxon England) a member of an aristocratic class, ranking below an ealdorman, whose status was hereditary and who held land from the king or from another nobleman in return for certain services
(in medieval Scotland)
a person of rank, often the chief of a clan, holding land from the king
a lesser noble who was a Crown official holding authority over an area of land
Origin of thane
1Derived forms of thane
- thanage (ˈθeɪnɪdʒ), noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse