cor·vée (kôr-v  , kôrv )n. 1. Labor exacted by a local authority for little or no pay or instead of taxes and used especially in the maintenance of roads. 2. A day of unpaid work required of a vassal by a feudal lord. [French corvée and Middle English corve, both from Old French corovee, from Medieval Latin (opera) corrog ta, (work) requested, neuter pl. of Latin corrogtus, past participle of corrogre, to summon together : com-, com- + rogre, to ask; see reg- in Indo-European roots.] |
corvée [ˈkɔːveɪ]
n
1. (Historical Terms) European history a day's unpaid labour owed by a feudal vassal to his lord
2. (Historical Terms) the practice or an instance of forced labour
[from Old French, from Late Latin corrogāta contribution, from Latin corrogāre to collect, from rogāre to ask]
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