slave
Slave (noun) means a person legally owned by another and forced to work without freedom or pay. Example: “The museum exhibit traced the journeys of enslaved people brought across the Atlantic.”
How to use slave
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHistorically, a person owned and forced to work by another; today also used figuratively for being controlled by a habit, or technically for a subordinate device.
The technology sense ("master/slave" devices) is being replaced in many industries with terms like "primary/replica" due to the word's history.
Word forms
slaved past tense, slaves plural, slaves singular
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He became a _____ to his phone, checking it every few minutes.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin sclavus ("slave"), from Late Latin Sclavus ("Slav") — a grim legacy of Slavic peoples being forced into slavery in the Middle Ages.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for slave
See all rhymes for slave →Frequently asked questions
What does “slave” mean?
The word “slave” means a person legally owned by another and forced to work without freedom or pay. In plain terms, historically, a person owned and forced to work by another; today also used figuratively for being controlled by a habit, or technically for a subordinate device.
How do you pronounce “slave”?
“Slave” is pronounced slayv (/sleɪv/ in IPA).
How do you use “slave” in a sentence?
Here is “slave” used in a sentence: “The museum exhibit traced the journeys of enslaved people brought across the Atlantic.”
What part of speech is “slave”?
“Slave” is a noun.
Where does the word “slave” come from?
The word “slave” comes from Late Latin. From Medieval Latin sclavus ("slave"), from Late Latin Sclavus ("Slav") — a grim legacy of Slavic peoples being forced into slavery in the Middle Ages.
Is “slave” a common word?
“Slave” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “slave” have?
“Slave” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person legally owned by another and forced to work without freedom or pay.
What is the difference between a 'slave' and a 'servant'?
A slave is a person legally owned by another and forced to work without freedom or pay. A servant is employed, is paid for their work, and keeps their personal freedom, so the key difference is ownership and consent.
What is the difference between a 'slave' and a 'serf'?
A slave is owned outright as another person's property. A serf, under the feudal system, was bound to work the land of a lord but was not owned as an object and could not simply be bought and sold in the same way.
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