enthral(l, v.
(ɛnˈθrɔːl)
Also in-.
[f. en-1 + thrall n.
The n. thrall may here be taken in either of its two senses, ‘slave’ and ‘slavery.’]
1. trans. To reduce to the condition of a thrall; to hold in thrall; to enslave, bring into bondage. Now rare in lit. sense.
| α 1656 Cowley Pindar. Odes, Brutus iii, Ingrateful Cæsar who could Rome enthrall. 1659 Pearson Creed (1839) 512 A ransom is..that which is detained, or given for the releasing of that which is enthralled. 1777 Watson Philip II (1839) 321 The danger..of being again enthralled by the Spaniards. 1871 B. Taylor Faust (1875) I. xxv, I am free! No one shall enthrall me. |
| β 1614 Raleigh Hist. World i. 39 Those people, which he [the Turk] hath subjected and inthralled. 1636 E. Dacres tr. Machiavel's Disc. Livy II. 495 It is as hard and dangerous..to inthrall a people, that would live free. |
2. fig. To ‘enslave’ mentally or morally. Now
chiefly, to captivate, hold spellbound, by pleasing qualities.
| α 1576 Newton tr. Lemnie's Complex. (1633) 170 A man should not give over or enthrall his credit and honour to Harlots. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. iii. i. 142 So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape. 1695 Ld. Preston Boeth. iv. 177 Vice doth enthral Men's strongest Powers. 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian xvii, He was inclined to believe that a stratagem had enthralled him. a 1839 Praed Poems (1864) II. 123 And M—, in that simple dress, Enthralls us more by studying less. 1878 E. Jenkins Haverholme 136 He was enthralled by the wizard spell of the orator. |
| β 1603 Daniel Def. Rhime (1717) 12 Seeking to please our Ear, we inthral our Judgment. 1636 Healey Theophrast., Impert. Diligence 53 This fellow perswades him not so much to inthrall himselfe to his Physicians directions. c 1720 Prior Poems (1866) 12 She soothes, but never can inthral my mind. a 1803 Beattie Hermit (R.), Spring shall return, and a lover bestow And sorrow no longer thy bosom enthrall. 1859 Kingsley Raleigh Misc. I. 30 The sense of beauty inthralls him at every step. 1876 Bancroft Hist. U.S. I. xviii. 516 To inthrall his mind by the influences of religion. |
Hence
enˈthralled ppl. a. enˈthraller, one who enthralls.
enˈthralling vbl. n. and ppl. a.| 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. ii. iv. 134 Loue hath chas'd sleepe from my enthralled eyes. 1600 Holland Livy ii. xxiv. 59 The enthralled debtors..were immediatlie by name enrolled. 1644 Milton Areop. (Arb.) 75 Through our..backwardnes to recover any enthrall'd peece of truth out of the gripe of custom. 1640–4 in Rushw. Hist. Coll. 111 (1692) I. 93 The subjecting and inthralling all Ministers under them. 1669 Cokaine Poems 149 Her sweetest mouth..[is] All hearts enthraller. 1797 Burke Regic. Peace iii. Wks. VIII. 311 With an enthralled world to labour for them. 1820 Scott Monast. xiii, Those of the Sucken, or enthralled ground, were liable in penalties. 1871 Macduff Mem. Patmos xiv. 195 To break loose from the enthralling chains of earth. |