Slav

[slahv, slav]

noun

one of a group of peoples in eastern, southeastern, and central Europe, including the Russians and Ruthenians (Eastern Slavs), the Bulgars, Serbs, Croats, Slavonians, Slovenes, etc. (Southern Slavs), and the Poles, Czechs, Moravians, Slovaks, etc. (Western Slavs).

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of the Slavs; Slavic.

Origin of Slav

1350–1400; < Medieval Latin Slāvus, variant of Sclāvus, akin to Late Greek Sklábos < a Slavic ethnonym, perhaps originally a name for all Slavic tribes (cf. Slovak, Slovene, Old Russian Slověně an East Slavic tribe); replacing Middle English Sclave < Medieval Latin Sclāvus

Slav.

or Slav

abbreviation

Slavic.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for slav

Historical Examples of slav

But also he is a Slav and likes a glass of vodka on Sundays and feast days.
Bulgaria
Frank Fox
To the big Slav it was all in the day's work, but to me it was hard, hard.
The Trail of '98
Robert W. Service
Without a word the stalwart Slav took him on his brawny shoulder.
The Trail of '98
Robert W. Service
It was to him a marvel that these people's mother-tongue was Slav.
The Birth of Yugoslavia, Volume 1
Henry Baerlein
The Ausgleich was of ill-omen to the Slav subjects of Hungary.
The Birth of Yugoslavia, Volume 1
Henry Baerlein

British Dictionary definitions for slav

Slav

noun

a member of any of the peoples of E Europe or NW Asia who speak a Slavonic language

Word Origin for Slav

C14: from Medieval Latin Sclāvus a captive Slav; see slave

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for slav

Slav

late 14c., Sclave, from Medieval Latin Sclavus (c.800), from Byzantine Greek Sklabos (c.580), from Old Church Slavonic Sloveninu "a Slav," probably related to slovo "word, speech," which suggests the name originally identified a member of a speech community (cf. Old Church Slavonic Nemici "Germans," related to nemu "dumb;" and cf. Old English þeode, which meant both "race" and "language").

Identical with the -slav in personal names (e.g. Russian Miroslav, literally "peaceful fame;" Mstislav "vengeful fame;" Jaroslav "famed for fury;" Czech Bohuslav "God's glory;" and cf. Wenceslas). Spelled Slave c.1788-1866, influenced by French and German Slave. As an adjective from 1876.