noun
- A freeman of the lowest rank in Anglo-Saxon England; a peasant or laborer who was not a slave but had limited rights and social status.
Usage: archaic; historical; Anglo-Saxon England
Examples
- In Anglo-Saxon society, a ceorl occupied a middle position between slaves and the nobility.
- The ceorl worked the land and owed certain obligations to his lord.
- Unlike a slave, a ceorl had some legal protections and could own property.
- The laws of King Alfred distinguished between the rights of a ceorl and those of higher ranks.
- A ceorl's status was hereditary but could sometimes be improved through service or wealth.