slave
Americannoun
-
a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another and forced to provide unpaid labor.
-
a person entirely under the domination of some influence or person.
She was a slave to her own ambition.
-
a drudge.
a housekeeping slave.
-
a slave ant.
-
Photography. a subsidiary flash lamp actuated through its photoelectric cell when the principal flash lamp is discharged.
-
Machinery, Computers. a device or process under control of or repeating the actions of a similar device or process.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
Machinery, Computers. to connect (a device) to a master as its slave.
-
Archaic. to enslave.
noun
-
a person legally owned by another and having no freedom of action or right to property
-
a person who is forced to work for another against his will
-
a person under the domination of another person or some habit or influence
a slave to television
-
a person who works in harsh conditions for low pay
-
-
a device that is controlled by or that duplicates the action of another similar device (the master device)
-
( as modifier )
slave cylinder
-
verb
-
to work like a slave
-
(tr) an archaic word for enslave
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
slavesimple
-
slavessimple
-
have slavedperfect
-
has slavedperfect
-
am slavingprogressive
-
are slavingprogressive
-
is slavingprogressive
-
have been slavingperfect progressive
-
has been slavingperfect progressive
Past
-
slavedsimple
-
had slavedperfect
-
was slavingprogressive
-
were slavingprogressive
-
had been slavingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of slave
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sclave (also slave ), from Old French escla(i)ve, and Medieval Latin sclāvus (masculine), sclāva (feminine) “slave,” special use of Sclāvus “Slavic, a Slav, slave” (Latin does not tolerate the consonant cluster sl- and employs the cluster scl- instead); so called because Slavs in Central Europe and the Balkans were commonly enslaved in the early Middle Ages; see origin at Slav
Explanation
Someone who is forcibly held in servitude is called a slave. The practice of owning slaves is immoral and detestable. Throughout history there have been slaves, and in some parts of the world some people still force others into slavery. Often the word is used more loosely. You might buy a lot of clothes because you're a slave to the latest fashion trends. You could spend all day in the kitchen, preparing 12 casseroles, working like a slave. That kind of exaggeration is common, but don't kid yourself: nothing is really similar to — or as horrible as — being a slave.
Vocabulary lists containing slave
"Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Workshop 4, Part 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ancient Greece, Lessons 4–8
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nyong'o won an Oscar in 2014 for 12 Years a Slave, and has also starred in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Black Panther.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was something Thoreau not just railed against but acted against, smuggling several enslaved people to Canada.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Franklin Pierce, although a Northerner, fiercely defended slavery while signing the Kansas-Nebraska Act and enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act; he was a drunkard to boot.
From Salon • Jul. 26, 2025
He’s a really interesting case because when the Fugitive Slave Act was put in place in 1850, he was a lawyer in Boston.
From Slate • Jul. 10, 2025
These stories spread the false claim that Slave Power agents had derailed the President’s train and killed his son, Bennie.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
