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slave definition

slave (slāv)

noun

  1. a human being who is owned as property by, and is absolutely subject to the will of, another; bondservant divested of all freedom and personal rights
  2. a person who is completely dominated by some influence, habit, person, etc. a slave to fashion
  3. a person who slaves; drudge
  4. slave ant
  5. a device actuated or controlled by another, similar device

Etymology: ME sclave < OFr or ML: OFr esclave < ML sclavus, slave, orig., Slav < LGr Sklabos, ult. < OSlav Slovēne, native name of a Slavic people: first used of captives of Slavic orig. in SE Europe

intransitive verb slaved, slaving slav′·ing

  1. to work like a slave; drudge
  2. to deal in slaves; be a slaver

transitive verb

Archaic to enslave

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

slave Synonyms

slave

modif.

vassal, captive, enslaved; see bound 1, 2, restricted.


slave

n.

  1. A person in bondage

    bondsman, bondservant, bondslave, thrall, chattel, serf, vassal, villein, captive, bondsmaid, bondwoman, victim of tyranny, one of a subject people.

  2. A drudge

    toiler, menial, worker; see drudge, laborer.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

slave Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • sin: And he says about us, you were slaves of sin.

Converse of object

  • emancipate: The emancipated slave is constructed as a powerful and striking figure.

Adjective modifier

  • runaway: Huck runs away from home and finds a runaway slave called Jim.

Modifies a noun

  • trade: Maybe the old slave trade has been almost closed.

Noun used with modifier

  • galley: A galley slave, for instance, has the privilege of stealing with impunity.
slave usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

slave quotes

   La femme marie¤  e est un esclave qu'il faut savoir mettre sur un tro" n e. A married woman is a slave whom one must put on a throne.

-Balzac, Honore¤   de

Be not the slave of words.

-Carlyle,Thomas

The worker is the slave of capitalist society, the female worker is the slave of that slave.

-Connolly,James

slave quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"slave." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/slave>

APA Style

slave. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/slave

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