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slave

SLAYV/sleɪv/

Pluralslaves

Verbslaves, slaving, slaved

9 meanings of slave

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  1. 1
    held in bondagenouncountable
    A person who is owned by someone else or held by force and made to work or serve without freedom.

    He was born a slave and did not win his freedom until he was thirty.

    In ancient Rome, a rich family might own many slaves to cook, clean, and farm.

    UsageMany writers now say enslaved people instead.

    Oppositemaster, owner, freeman

    Note
  2. 2
    nounfigurativelycountable
    Someone who cannot say no to something and lets it control their life.

    Like a puppet that moves whenever someone pulls its strings.

    He is a slave to his phone and checks it every few minutes.

    Don't become a slave to fashion. Wear what feels right for you.

    UsageSay a slave to something: a slave to sugar.

    Similarprisoner, victim, captive

    Note
  3. 3
    nounfigurativelycountable
    A person who must work very hard with few rights and little freedom.

    The new helper was the office slave, making coffee and copies all day.

    She was little more than a slave in that house, cooking and cleaning from dawn to dark.

    UsagePeople often say they were treated like a slave.

    Similardrudge, dogsbody, skivvy, serf, lackey

    Oppositemaster

  4. 4
    work hardverbintransitive
    To work very hard for a long time.

    She slaved over the stove all afternoon to get dinner ready.

    I slave all week and still can't pay the bills.

    UsageSay slave over something or slave away: she slaved over dinner.

    Similartoil, labor, slog, sweat, grind

    Oppositeidle, loaf, laze, relax

  5. 5
    controlled devicenouncountable
    A device that another device, called the master, controls or leads, or the second drive in an older two-drive setup.

    Like a follower who copies every move the leader makes.

    My old computer had two hard drives, a master and a slave.

    The slave flash fires the moment the main flash goes off.

    UsageIt goes with master. Many people now say secondary instead.

    Similarsecondary, worker

    Oppositemaster, primary

    Note
  6. 6
    nounfigurativelycountable
    A person seen as low, worthless, or without pride or self-respect, often called this as an insult.

    Don't be such a slave. Say no when you think he's wrong.

    He followed the bully around like a slave, laughing at every cruel joke.

    UsageUsed mostly as an old insult.

    Similarwretch

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 7
    link devicesverbtransitive
    To set a device so that another device controls it.

    You can slave the second clock to the master clock so they keep the same time.

    The photographer slaved her extra flash to the camera so both fired together.

    UsageSay you slave one machine to another.

    Similarsync, lock, link

    Note
  2. 8
    verbintransitive
    To capture people and sell them, or force them to work as property.

    Raiders slaved along the coast, taking whole villages to sell across the sea.

    Even after the slave trade was banned, some captains kept slaving in secret.

    Note
  3. 9
    noun
    A person who freely agrees to obey and serve a partner, often but not always as part of a sexual relationship.

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Origin

The Latin word sclavus, meaning "slave," reached English through Old French. It came from a word for "Slav." The usual explanation is that many Slavs were made slaves in the Middle Ages.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

  • Latin sclavus meant 'slave' and reached English through Old French. en.wiktionary.org
  • Latin sclavus derives from a word meaning 'Slav'. en.wiktionary.org
  • The usual explanation connects this derivation with the enslavement of many Slavs during the Middle Ages. en.wiktionary.org