slave

noun

\ ˈslāv

Definition of slave

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : a person held in servitude as the chattel of another

2 : one that is completely subservient to a dominating influence

3 : a device (such as the printer of a computer) that is directly responsive to another

4 : drudge, toiler

slave

verb

slaved; slaving

Definition of slave (Entry 2 of 4)

transitive verb

1 archaic : enslave

2 : to make directly responsive to another mechanism

intransitive verb

1 : to work like a slave : drudge

2 : to traffic in slaves

slave

adjective

Definition of slave (Entry 3 of 4)

1a : of, relating to, involving, or used for slaves or slavery slave traders a slave auction slave owners a slave economy Many authentic slave narratives were influenced by Harriet Beecher Stowe; on the other hand, authentic slave narratives were among Stowe's primary sources for her own imaginative work, Uncle Tom's Cabin.— Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

b : held in or forced into servitude : enslaved born of slave parents slave workers

c : favoring or legally permitting slavery a slave territory the slave states

2 : operated by remote control the device now tucked away behind the dials isn't properly a clockwork but a … slave unit activated by an electric clock inside the bank — The New Yorker specifically : responding to manipulation of the master controls of an apparatus There's also provision for attaching external slave flash units for greater flash range when using print film. — Herbert Keppler … had the ultimate compact-disc system—a master machine and four optional slave machines—that will load and play 250 discs altogether … — William D. Marbach

Slave

geographical name

\ ˈslāv

Definition of Slave (Entry 4 of 4)

river 258 miles (415 kilometers) long in Canada flowing from the western end of Lake Athabasca north into Great Slave Lake

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about slave

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Examples of slave in a Sentence

Noun

He treats her like a slave. Do it yourself! I'm not your slave!

Verb

I slaved all morning to get the work done on time. She's been slaving away at her homework.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Yet fragments of insight survive in unexpected places: an aside in an 18th-century letter; a detail in a slave account or court record; an observation by a sociologist on an Indian reservation. — Emily Bobrow, WSJ, "‘Mother Is a Verb’ Review: What’s It Like to Be a Mom?," 9 May 2019 Shatz recognized the name on the card — Piroska was the widow of his cousin, who had lived in Budapest until the start of World War II, when he was deported to a slave labor camp and killed. — Hannah Natanson, Washington Post, "They survived the Holocaust, and then he rescued her from communism. Sixty-five years later, they’ve reunited.," 9 July 2018 Spanish and Portuguese traders, as well as their slaves, introduced new foods and dishes from Africa, the Caribbean and Asia. — Providence Cicero, The Seattle Times, "Chester Gerl’s versatile, crunchy salsa macha is so much more than a chip dip," 2 Jan. 2019 The female of the species is known for stinging unsuspecting cockroaches with a nasty venom that turns the roach into her docile slave. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Cockroaches deliver karate kicks to avoid being turned into “zombies”," 3 Nov. 2018 These instructions by the Daltons are reminiscent of how slave masters implemented rules to make clear their ownership of black people during plantation slavery. — Prince Shakur, Teen Vogue, ""Native Son" Reflects a World Where Young Black Men Are Often Set Up to Fail," 16 Apr. 2019 In ancient Asia, Greece, and Rome, tattoos were used to mark thieves, prisoners, and slaves. — Ann Lien, House Beautiful, "These Embroidery Tattoos are Jaw-Droppingly Realistic," 10 Apr. 2019 The Last Jedi went back to heroes who could come from anywhere and start as anything: a garbage-trader, a random soldier, even a slave-boy with a broom. — Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the franchise’s Attack of the Clones when it should be The Last Jedi," 27 Nov. 2018 But the law says that any slave who sheds a white man’s blood must be killed. — Outlander Fan, Marie Claire, "5 Biggest Takeaways From 'Outlander' Season 4's Second Episode," 12 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Some see the positives (like rising employment numbers), while others — including the activist group Left Eye — see WorryFree as something akin to slave labor. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "Why 'Sorry to Bother You' is the weirdest, wittiest comedy you'll see all summer," 3 July 2018 There is no need to slave over the hot oven or bathe in flour to impress the people on your holiday gift list. — Indianapolis Star, "Quick-Fix Food Gifts," 5 July 2018 At the centerpiece is Seymour, the nebbish sad sack who slaves away in Mushnik's Skid Row Florist. — Theodore P. Mahne, NOLA.com, "Rivertown sets up a campy and funny 'Little Shop of Horrors'," 8 May 2018 Both of the game's Windows SKUs were given new life pretty much entirely by Steam Workshop contributors who slaved away at texture packs, recoloring efforts, and other quality-of-life tweaks. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Skyrim VR is coming to PC, and it marks a Bethesda first: Oculus approval [Updated]," 14 Mar. 2018 Neither Foster or Meaher were ever convicted of the crime of slaving, though Meaher was arrested at one point for his role, and Foster was forced to pay a $1,000 fine for failing to register in port after an international trip. — Ben Raines, AL.com, "Wreck found by reporter may be last American slave ship, archaeologists say," 23 Jan. 2018 The University of Mississippi is acknowledging its historical connections to slave labor, slave owners and officials who set policies that stripped African Americans of voting rights after the Civil War. — Washington Post, "Ole Miss acknowledges its use of slave labor," 7 Mar. 2018 The journal of William Foster, the captain of the Clotilda, provides a detailed historical document regarding the slaving operations in Dahomey at the time of his journey. — Connor Sheets, AL.com, "Hamilton woman dies in one-car crash in Frankiln County," 18 Feb. 2018 My mom was always slaving away in the kitchen with my grandma. — As Told To Jonathan Kauffman And Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, "A collection of Christmas memories from Bay Area food people," 21 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

18 May 2019

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Time Traveler for slave

The first known use of slave was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for slave

slave

noun

English Language Learners Definition of slave

(Entry 1 of 2)

: someone who is legally owned by another person and is forced to work for that person without pay

disapproving : a person who is strongly influenced and controlled by something

slave

verb

English Language Learners Definition of slave (Entry 2 of 2)

: to work very hard

See the full definition for slave in the English Language Learners Dictionary

slave

noun

\ ˈslāv

Kids Definition of slave

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a person who is owned by another person and can be sold at the owner's will

2 : a person who is strongly influenced and controlled by something a slave to fashion

3 : drudge

slave

verb

slaved; slaving

Kids Definition of slave (Entry 2 of 2)

: to work very hard, for long hours, or under difficult conditions … I could only see myself slaving … in the tobacco fields.— Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped