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Webster 1913 Edition

Serf

Serf

,
Noun.
[F., fr. L.
serus
servant, slave; akin to
servare
to protect, preserve, observe, and perhaps originally, a client, a man under one’s protection. Cf.
Serve
,
Verb.
T.
]
A servant or slave employed in husbandry, and in some countries attached to the soil and transferred with it, as formerly in Russia.
In England, at least from the reign of Henry II, one only, and that the inferior species [of villeins], existed . . . But by the customs of France and Germany, persons in this abject state seem to have been called
serfs
, and distinguished from
villeins
, who were only bound to fixed payments and duties in respect of their lord, though, as it seems, without any legal redress if injured by him.
Hallam.
Syn. –
Serf
,
Slave
.
A slave is the absolute property of his master, and may be sold in any way. A serf, according to the strict sense of the term, is one bound to work on a certain estate, and thus attached to the soil, and sold with it into the service of whoever purchases the land.

Webster 1828 Edition

Serf

SERF

,
Noun.
[L. servus.] A servant or slave employed in husbandry, and in some countries, attached to the soil and transferred with it. The serfs in Poland are slaves.

Definition 2024

serf

serf

English

Noun

serf ‎(plural serfs)

  1. A partially free peasant of a low hereditary class, slavishly attached to the land owned by a feudal lord and required to perform labour, enjoying minimal legal or customary rights.
  2. A similar agricultural labourer in 18th and 19th century Europe.
  3. (strategy games) A worker unit.

Translations

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

Anagrams

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch serf, from Old French serf, from Latin servus.

Noun

serf m ‎(plural serven, diminutive serfje n)

  1. A serf, semifree peasant obliged to remain on the lord's land and to perform extensive chores for him

Synonyms

French

Etymology

Latin servus ‎(“slave, serf, servant”), perhaps of Etruscan origin.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /sɛʁf/, /sɛʁ/

Noun

serf m ‎(plural serfs, feminine serve)

  1. A serf, semifree peasant obliged to remain on the lord's land and to perform extensive chores for him

Adjective

serf m ‎(feminine singular serve, masculine plural serfs, feminine plural serves)

  1. being or like a serf, semifree

Related terms

Anagrams

Mauritian Creole

Etymology

French cerf.

Noun

serf

  1. deer

Middle French

Noun

serf m (plural serfs)

  1. serf (semifree peasant)

Descendants

Old French

Etymology 1

Latin servus.

Noun

serf m ‎(oblique plural sers, nominative singular sers, nominative plural serf)

  1. serf (semifree peasant)
Descendants

Etymology 2

See servir

Verb

serf

  1. first-person singular present indicative of servir

Etymology

From Old French serf, from Latin servus ‎(“slave, serf, servant”), perhaps of Etruscan origin

Pronunciation

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