thane

or thegn

[ theyn ]

/ θeɪn /

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noun

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.

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Origin of thane

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

thanato-, thanatology, thanatophobia, thanatopsis, Thanatos, thane, thaneship, Thanet, thang, thangka, Thanjavur

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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|DAILY BEAST
Thane Creech, too, has his doubts that President Obama can deliver.
How It Played in the Gulf|Rick Outzen|June 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST
"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. Whistler
The hero is a young thane who wins the favor of Earl Harold and becomes one of his retinue.
A Roving Commission|G. A. Henty

It 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 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

(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

Derived forms of thane

thanage (ˈθeɪnɪdʒ), noun

Word Origin for thane

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

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