Meaning & use

thane

noun·Advanced

In medieval Scotland or England, a nobleman who held land from the king in exchange for military service.

See it in a sentence

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the title character is granted the title of Thane of Cawdor early in the play.

The thane governed the local lands and answered directly to the king.

A note on using this word

A historical title, now mainly encountered in medieval history or in literature such as Macbeth.

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