thane

or thegn

[ theyn ]

noun
  1. 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.

  2. 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

1
before 900; late Middle English, spelling variant (Scots ) of Middle English thain, thein,Old English thegn; cognate with Old Norse thegn subject, German Degen warrior, hero, Greek téknon child

Other 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

  • "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 Lee
  • And 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

thane

commonly thegn

/ (θeɪn) /


noun
  1. (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

  2. (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

1
Old English thegn; related to Old Saxon, Old High German thegan thane

Derived 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