vassal state; dependent; appendage
Meanings
2 senses · 7 examplesnoun
vassal state; puppet state; small state subordinate to a major power
formalHistorically referred to small states attached to larger ones; now often implies a lack of sovereignty or puppet status.
This country is nothing more than a vassal of the superpower.
Vassal states in ancient times needed to pay tribute to the suzerain state.
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They refused to become a vassal of any great power.
noun
dependent; appendage; thing that exists attached to something else
formalUsed metaphorically for fields, concepts, or entities that lack independence and rely on a host or primary subject.
In the Qing Dynasty, philology was still merely an appendage of classical studies.
This artistic school was initially just a dependent of mainstream culture.
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He is unwilling to become a mere appendage to someone else's enterprise.
to mingle with men of letters and pose as a lover of culture; to arty-crafty