theow
- noun
- /θiːoʊ/
- Archaic
- After years of struggle, she realized she was a theow to her fear, letting it control her decisions.
Examples
-
The artist was a theow to her creative impulses, unable to resist the urge to paint every moment.
-
He became a theow to his obsession with gaming, spending countless hours at his console.
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Actually, she may be able to travel along it alone; the theow legends say that those with real magic have this power.
Fiction book (1992) -
She desired to be queen no more than she desired to be a theow housewife; both were confining for life.
Fiction book (1992)
Synonyms
How Controlled
Surface Forms
Etymology
Theow originally meant 'slave' and comes from Old English þēow, so a helpful way to remember the figurative use is to think of someone 'enslaved' by a feeling or habit. That's why calling someone a theow of desire means they are completely 'controlled' by it.