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slave

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
slave  (slv)
n.
1. One bound in servitude as the property of a person or household.
2. One who is abjectly subservient to a specified person or influence: "I was still the slave of education and prejudice" (Edward Gibbon).
3. One who works extremely hard.
4. A machine or component controlled by another machine or component.
intr.v. slaved, slav·ing, slaves
1. To work very hard or doggedly; toil.
2. To trade in or transport slaves.

[Middle English sclave, from Old French esclave, from Medieval Latin sclvus, from Sclvus, Slav (from the widespread enslavement of captured Slavs in the early Middle Ages); see Slav.]
Word History: The derivation of the word slave encapsulates a bit of European history and explains why the two words slaves and Slavs are so similar; they are, in fact, historically identical. The word slave first appears in English around 1290, spelled sclave. The spelling is based on Old French esclave from Medieval Latin sclavus, "Slav, slave," first recorded around 800. Sclavus comes from Byzantine Greek sklabos (pronounced sklävs) "Slav," which appears around 580. Sklavos approximates the Slavs' own name for themselves, the Slovnci, surviving in English Slovene and Slovenian. The spelling of English slave, closer to its original Slavic form, first appears in English in 1538. Slavs became slaves around the beginning of the ninth century when the Holy Roman Empire tried to stabilize a German-Slav frontier. By the 12th century stabilization had given way to wars of expansion and extermination that did not end until the Poles crushed the Teutonic Knights at Grunwald in 1410. · As far as the Slavs' own self-designation goes, its meaning is, understandably, better than "slave"; it comes from the Indo-European root *kleu-, whose basic meaning is "to hear" and occurs in many derivatives meaning "renown, fame." The Slavs are thus "the famous people." Slavic names ending in -slav incorporate the same word, such as Czech Bohu-slav, "God's fame," Russian Msti-slav, "vengeful fame," and Polish Stani-slaw, "famous for withstanding (enemies)."

slave [sleɪv]
n
1. (Law) a person legally owned by another and having no freedom of action or right to property
2. (Business / Industrial Relations & HR Terms) a person who is forced to work for another against his will
3. a person under the domination of another person or some habit or influence a slave to television
4. (Business / Industrial Relations & HR Terms) a person who works in harsh conditions for low pay
5. (Engineering / Mechanical Engineering)
a.  a device that is controlled by or that duplicates the action of another similar device (the master device)
b.  (as modifier) slave cylinder
vb
1. (intr; often foll by away) to work like a slave
2. (tr) an archaic word for enslave
[via Old French from Medieval Latin Sclāvus a Slav, one held in bondage (from the fact that the Slavonic races were frequently conquered in the Middle Ages), from Late Greek Sklabos a Slav]

slave
  • amanuensis - Literally "slave at hand"—for a literary assistant, especially one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.
  • ciao - Also ciau; from Italian, it is an alteration of schiavo, "(I am your) slave."
  • serve - From Latin servire, "serve," from servus, "slave."
  • addict - To addict originally meant "to award as a slave"; an addict now is a slave to his/her habit, from Latin addictus, which, in Roman law, meant "a debtor awarded as a slave to his creditor."
  • ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
    Noun1.slave - a person who is owned by someoneslave - a person who is owned by someone    
    individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do"
    bondsman, bondman - a male slave
    bondmaid, bondwoman, bondswoman - a female slave
    bond servant - someone bound to labor without wages
    puppet, tool, creature - a person who is controlled by others and is used to perform unpleasant or dishonest tasks for someone else
    galley slave - a slave condemned to row in a galley
    2.slave - someone who works as hard as a slaveslave - someone who works as hard as a slave
    worker - a person who works at a specific occupation; "he is a good worker"
    3.slave - someone entirely dominated by some influence or person; "a slave to fashion"; "a slave to cocaine"; "his mother was his abject slave"
    individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do"
    Verb1.slave - work very hard, like a slave
    do work, work - be employed; "Is your husband working again?"; "My wife never worked"; "Do you want to work after the age of 60?"; "She never did any work because she inherited a lot of money"; "She works as a waitress to put herself through college"

    slave
    noun
    1. servant, serf, vassal, bondsman, slavey (Brit. informal), varlet (archaic), villein, bondservant still living as slaves in the desert
    2. drudge, skivvy (chiefly Brit.), scullion (archaic) Mum says to Dad, `I'm not your slave, you know!'
    verb
    toil, labour, grind (informal), drudge, sweat, graft, slog, sweat blood, skivvy (Brit.), work your fingers to the bone, work your guts out, keep your nose to the grindstone slaving over a hot stove
    Translations
    slave [sleɪv]
    A. Nesclavo/a m/f
    to be a slave to sth (fig) → ser esclavo de algo
    to be a slave to tobaccoser esclavo del tabaco
    to be a slave to dutyser esclavo del deber
    B. VI to slave (away) at sth/at doing sthtrabajar como un negro en algo/haciendo algo
    C. CPD slave driver Nnegrero/a m/f (fig) → tirano/a m/f
    slave labour N (= work) → trabajo m de esclavos; (= persons) → esclavos mpl
    slave trade Ntrata f de esclavos, comercio m de esclavos, tráfico m de esclavos
    slave trader Ntraficante mf en esclavos

    slave [ˈsleɪv]
    n
    (lit)esclave mf
    (fig)esclave
    to be a slave to sth [+ fashion, convention, work] → être l'esclave de qch
    vi (= work very hard) → trimer, travailler comme un forçat
    to slave over a hot stove → trimer aux fourneaux
    slave away
    vitrimer, travailler comme un forçat
    to slave away at sth → se tuer à qch
    to slave away at doing sth → se tuer à faire qch
    slave driver n (pejorative)négrier/ière m/f
    slave labour (British) slave labor (US) n
    (lit)travail m des esclaves
    built by slave labour → construit(e) grâce au travail des esclaves
    based on slave labour → fondé(e) sur le travail des esclaves
    (fig)esclavage m
    it's just slave labour → c'est de l'esclavage

    slave
    nSklave m, → Sklavin f; to be a slave to somebody/somethingjds Sklave/Sklave von etw sein
    visich abplagen, schuften (inf); to slave (away) at somethingsich mit etw herumschlagen; to slave over a hot stove(den ganzen Tag) am Herd stehen; he was slaving over his homeworker schlug sich mit seinen Hausaufgaben herum

    slave:
    slave-driver
    n (lit, fig)Sklaventreiber(in) m(f)
    slave labour, (US) slave labor
    n
    (= work)Sklavenarbeit f
    (= work force)Sklaven pl; he uses slaveseine Leute müssen wie die Sklaven arbeiten
    slave market
    n (Hist) → Sklavenmarkt m

    slave:
    slave ship
    nSklavenschiff nt
    slave trade
    slave trader
    n = slaver1

    slave [sleɪv]
    1. nschiavo/a
    to be a slave to sth (fig) → essere schiavo/a di qc
    to be a slave of habit → essere schiavo/a delle abitudini
    2. vi to slave (away) at sth/at doing sthsgobbare per qc/per fare qc

    slave
    n slave [sleiv]
    1 a person who works for a master to whom he belongs In the nineteenth century many Africans were sold as slaves in the United States. slaaf عَبْد роб otrok, -yně slave der Sklave, die Sklavin σκλάβος, δούλος esclavo ori برده orja esclave עֶבֶד दास, गुलाम rob, ropkinja rabszolga budak þræll schiavo 奴隷 노예 vergas vergs hamba abdi slaaf slave, trell niewolnik escravo sclav раб, невольник otrok, -kyňa suženj rob slav, träl ทาส köle 奴隸 раб, невільник غلام người nô lệ
    2 a person who works very hard for someone else He has a slave who types his letters and organizes his life for him. slaaf كادِح، شَخْص يَعْمَل عن غَيْرِه عملا شاقّا слуга otrok slave der Sklave, die Sklavin υποτακτικός esclavo ori كسي كه كار سياه ميكند orja esclave עֶבֶד दासतापूर्ण काम करने वाला व्यक्ति rob (raditi kao rob) „rabszolga” pekerja keras vinnuþræll schiavo 献身的に働く人 (노예 같이 일하는) 사람 vergas vergs hamba slaaf arbeidsslave najemnik, niewolnik escravo sclav раб otrok suženj rob slav ผู้ทำงานหนัก köle gibi çalışan 苦力 раб ملازم người làm việc đầu tắt, mặt tối
    v
    to work very hard, often for another person I've been slaving away for you all day while you sit and watch television. afsloof يَعْمَلُ عن غَيْرِه عملا شاقّا слугувам otročit slave; slide og slæbe schuften δουλεύω σαν σκλάβος trabajar como una bestia, trabajar como un negro rügama خر حمالي كردن raataa trimer לַעֲבוֹד כְּמוֹ עֶבֶד दासतापूर्ण काम करना raditi kao rob, ubijati se od posla agyondolgozza magát (vki helyett) bekerja keras þræla sgobbare 献身的に働く 노예같이 뼈빠지게 일하다 vergauti vergot bekerja keras zwoegen arbeide som en slave, slite som en gamp harować labutar a slugări надрываться otročiť garati mučiti se slava, slita ทำงานหนัก köle gibi çalışmak 作苦工 працювати, як раб کڑی محنت کرنا làm việc quần quật
    n slavery
    1 the state of being a slave. slaafwees عُبودِيَّه робство otroctví slave die Sklaverei δουλεία esclavitud orjus بردگي orjuus esclavage עַבדוּת दासता robovanje rabszolgaság perbudakan þrældómur schiavitù 奴隷状態 노예 신분 vergovė, vergija verdzība penghambaan slavernij slaveri, trelldom niewolnictwo escravatura scla­vie рабство otroctvo suženjstvo ropstvo slaveri, träldom ความเป็นทาส kölelik 奴隸身份 рабство غلامی tình trạng nô lệ
    2 the system of ownership of slaves. slawerny نِظام العُبودِيَّه робство otrokářství slaveri die Sklaverei δουλεία esclavitud orjapidamine برده داري orjuus esclavage עַבדוּת दास-प्रथा ropstvo rabszolgaság perbudakan þrælahald schiavitù, schiavismo 奴隷制度 노예 제도 vergvaldystė verdzība; verdzības iekārta penghambaan slavernij slaveri niewolnictwo escravatura sclava­gism рабовладение otrokárstvo sužnjelastništvo ropstvo slaveri การเป็นทาส kölelik sistemi 奴隸制度 рабство غلامی کا رواج sự chiếm hữu nô lệ
    3 very hard and badly-paid work Her job is sheer slavery. slawerny عَمَل شاق وأُجْرَة مُنْخَفِضَه робия otročina slaveri die Sklavenarbeit σκληρή και άθλια αμειβόμενη εργασία, κάτεργο (μτφ.) esclavitud orjatöö كار سياه orjatyö esclavage עַבוֹדַת פָּרֵך कठोर परिश्रम ropstvo rabszolgamunka perbudakan þrælavinna schiavitù, schiavismo 苦役 고역 vergavimas vergošana pengabdian slavernij slavearbeid katorga escravatura sclavie рабский труд otročina suženjsko delo ropstvo slavgöra ทำงานหนักและได้ค่าแรงต่ำ zor ve ücreti düşük 苦役 підневільна праця سخت مشقت công việc được trả công rẻ mạt

    slave عبد, يَستعبد otročit, otrok slave schuften, Sklave σκλάβος, σκλαβώνω esclavizar, esclavo orja, raataa esclave, trimer rob, robovati lavorare come uno schiavo, schiavo 奴隷, 奴隷のように働く 노예, 혹사하다 slaaf, uitsloven (zich) slave niewolnik, tyrać escravizar, escravo выполнять тяжелую работу, раб slav, slava ทาส, ทำงานอย่างหนัก köle, köle gibi çalışmak làm việc như nô lệ, nô lệ 奴隶, 辛勤努力


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Ca- pable of high attainments as an intellectual and moral being--needing nothing but a comparatively small amount of cultivation to make him an orna- ment to society and a blessing to his race--by the law of the land, by the voice of the people, by the terms of the slave code, he was only a piece of property, a beast of burden, a chattel personal, nevertheless!
All relatives have correlatives: by the term 'slave' we mean the slave of a master, by the term 'master', the master of a slave; by 'double', the double of its hall; by 'half', the half of its double; by 'greater', greater than that which is less; by 'less,' less than that which is greater.
I was born a slave on a plantation in Franklin County, Virginia.
 
 
 
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