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Webster 1913 Edition


Slave

Slave

(släv or slăv; 277)
Noun.
See
Slav
.

Slave

(slāv)
,
Noun.
[Cf. F.
esclave
, D.
slaaf
, Dan.
slave
,
sclave
, Sw.
slaf
, all fr. G.
sklave
, MHG. also
slave
, from the national name of the Slavonians, or Sclavonians (in LL.
Slavi
or
Sclavi
), who were frequently made slaves by the Germans. See
Slav
.]
1.
A person who is held in bondage to another; one who is wholly subject to the will of another; one who is held as a chattel; one who has no freedom of action, but whose person and services are wholly under the control of another.
Art thou our
slave
,
Our captive, at the public mill our drudge?
Milton.
2.
One who has lost the power of resistance; one who surrenders himself to any power whatever;
as, a
slave
to passion, to lust, to strong drink, to ambition
.
3.
A drudge; one who labors like a slave.
4.
An abject person; a wretch.
Shak.
Slave ant
(Zool.)
,
any species of ants which is captured and enslaved by another species, especially
Formica fusca
of Europe and America, which is commonly enslaved by
Formica sanguinea
.
Slave catcher
,
one who attempted to catch and bring back a fugitive slave to his master.
Slave coast
,
part of the western coast of Africa to which slaves were brought to be sold to foreigners.
Slave driver
,
one who superintends slaves at their work; hence, figuratively, a cruel taskmaster.
Slave hunt
.
(a)
A search after persons in order to reduce them to slavery
.
Barth.
(b)
A search after fugitive slaves, often conducted with bloodhounds.
Slave ship
,
a vessel employed in the slave trade or used for transporting slaves; a slaver.
Slave trade
,
the business of dealing in slaves, especially of buying them for transportation from their homes to be sold elsewhere.
Slave trader
,
one who traffics in slaves.
Syn. – Bond servant; bondman; bondslave; captive; henchman; vassal; dependent; drudge. See
Serf
.

Slave

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Slaved
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Slaving
.]
To drudge; to toil; to labor as a slave.

Slave

,
Verb.
T.
To enslave.
Marston.

Webster 1828 Edition


Slave

SLAVE

, n.
1.
A person who is wholly subject to the will of another; one who has no will of his own, but whose person and services are wholly under the control of another. In the early state of the world, and to this day among some barbarous nations, prisoners of war are considered and treated as slaves. The slaves of modern times are more generally purchased, like horses and oxen.
2.
One who has lost the poser of resistance; or one who surrenders himself to any power whatever; as a slave to passion, to lust, to ambition.
3.
A mean person; one in the lowest state of life.
4.
A drudge; one who labors like a slave.

SLAVE

,
Verb.
I.
To drudge; to toil; to labor as a slave.