slave (sl v)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 scl vus, 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 skläv  s) "Slav," which appears around 580. Sklavos approximates the Slavs' own name for themselves, the Slov nci, 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
Noun
1. a person legally owned by another for whom he or she has to work without freedom, pay, or rights
2. a person under the domination of another or of some habit or influence: a slave to party doctrine
3. Informal a badly-paid person doing menial tasks
Verb
[slaving, slaved]
(often foll. by away, over)to work very hard for little or no money [Medieval Latin Sclavus a Slav (the Slavonic races were frequently conquered in the Middle Ages)]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  slave - 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" 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 slaveworker - 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" | |
| Verb | 1. | slave - work very hard, like a slave |
slave
Translations
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 奴隶
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 (남을 위해) 뼈빠지게 일하는 사람 vergas vergs hamba slaaf arbeidsslave najemnik, niewolnik escravo sclav раб otrok suženj rob slav ผู้ทำงานหนัก köle gibi çalışan 苦工 раб ملازم người làm việc đầu tắt, mặt tối 苦工
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 (남을 위해) 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 作苦工
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 노예의 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 奴隶身份
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 奴隶制度
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, 낮은 보수의 고된 일 vergavimas vergošana pengabdian slavernij slavearbeid katorga escravatura sclavie рабский труд otročina suženjsko delo ropstvo slavgöra ทำงานหนักและได้ค่าแรงต่ำ zor ve ücreti düşük iş 苦役 підневільна праця سخت مشقت công việc được trả công rẻ mạt 苦役
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