slave

CEFRB1

/sleɪv/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A person forced to work and obey without freedom.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A drudge; one who labors or is obliged (e.g. by prior contract) to labor like a slave with limited rights, e.g. an indentured servant.

Examples

  • I refuse to be treated like a slave by you.

  • The section chief made me work like a slave.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
4

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings
  1. An abject person.

  2. A person who is held in servitude as the property of another person, and whose labor (and often also whose body and life) is subject to the owner's volition and control.

  3. A submissive partner in a BDSM relationship who consensually submits to, sexually or personally, serving one or more masters or mistresses.

More examples

In context
  • I was slaving all day over a hot stove.

  • a slave to passion, to strong drink, or to ambition

  • to slave a hard disk

Quick test

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Question 1 · Quick check

In ancient times, a blank was forced to work without payment or freedom.

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Nearby

Origin

noun

Middle English sclave English slave Inherited from Middle English sclave, from Old French sclave, from Medieval Latin sclavus (“slave”), from Late Latin Sclavus (“Slav”), traditionally assumed to be because Slavs were often forced into slavery in the Middle Ages. The Latin word is from Byzantine Greek Σκλάβος (Sklábos); see that entry and Slav for more. Displaced native Old English þēow. Thrall and bondsman/bondswoman, however, remain common synonyms. Doublet of ciao and Slav. An alternative hypothesis derives sclavus from Ancient Greek σκῡλεύω (skūleúō), σκῡλάω (skūláō, “to strip or despoil a slain enemy”).