thrall

plural thralls

1. countableliteraryuncountableotherwise archaicSlave; one under the control of another.

   My father was always a thrall to alcohol.

   3 more examples

   My servant, which that is my thrall by right

   1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “(please specify the story via the 'title' parameter)”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC

   Hereat its Marid appeared and said to him, "Adsum! thy thrall between thy hands is come: ask of me whatso thou wantest."

   1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC

   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.

   1915, Jack London, The Star Rover

2. uncountableThe state of being under the control of another person.

   Today's kids are in thrall to their phones.

   5 more examples

   Go: release him from the thrall of Hautia.

   1864, Herman Melville, Mardi

   [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.

   1889, Jerome K. Jerome, chapter 12, in Three Men in a Boat […]

   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.

   1911, Saki, The Easter Egg

   A more enlightened Conservative prime minister, better attuned to the “one nation” tradition of the party of Disraeli and Macmillan, less in thrall to Little Englanders, and less intimidated by the peculiarly vicious and Manichaean worldview of the Daily Mail, would have taken a more consensual approach.

   2017 March 27, “The Observer view on triggering article 50”, in The Observer

   Labour needs to engage positively with the unions on wider policy issues, but not be in thrall with them.

   2022 November 16, Paul Salveson, “Labour and transport: the important role of the regions”, in RAIL, number 970, page 31

   Synonyms: grasp

3. countableuncountableA shelf; a stand for barrels, etc.

comparative more thrall · superlative most thrall

1. archaicEnthralled; captive.

   Rather than to live thrall, under the awe Of lordly lokes, wrapped within my cloke […]

   1536, Thomas Wyatt, Satire I

present singular third person thralls · participle present thralling · participle past thralled · past thralled

1. literaryotherwise archaicTo make a thrall; enslave.

plural Thralls

1. A surname.