vavasor

American  

[vav-uh-sawr, -sohr] / ˈvæv əˌsɔr, -ˌsoʊr /

Also vavasour

noun

1. (in the feudal system) a vassal ranking just below a baron.

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vavasor British  

/ ˈvævəˌsʊə, ˈvævəˌsɔː /

noun

1. Also: vavassor.  (in feudal society) the noble or knightly vassal of a baron or great lord who also has vassals himself

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Etymology

Origin of vavasor

1300–50; Middle English vavasour < Old French, perhaps contraction of Medieval Latin vassus vassōrum vassal of vassals; vassal

Example Sentences

Alice Vavasor asks herself, “What should a woman do with her life?”

From Slate

Along the way, their lives intertwine with�among a hundred or so others�a headstrong early feminist, Alice Vavasor, and her rascally cousin George; a young radical M.P. from Ireland, Phineas Finn; and a mistreated wife, Lady Laura Kennedy, who flees from her cruel husband, a rich Scottish baron.

From Time Magazine Archive

To begin with, it is certain that such names as Pope, Cayzer, King, Earl, Bishop are nicknames, very often conferred on performers in religious plays or acquired in connection with popular festivals and processions— "Names also have been taken of civil honours, dignities and estate, as King, Duke, Prince, Lord, Baron, Knight, Valvasor or Vavasor, Squire, Castellon, partly for that their ancestours were such, served such, acted such parts; or were Kings of the Bean, Christmas-Lords, etc."

From Project Gutenberg

This widow, Maude, daughter of Robert le Vavasor of Denton, was given up to her father, who, buying the right of marrying her at a price of 1200 marks and two palfreys, gave her to Fulk fitz-Warine.

From Project Gutenberg

The thing had come so suddenly upon George Vavasor that there was not time for him to carry on his further operations through his sister.

From Project Gutenberg