slaver

¹ American  

[sley-ver] / ˈsleɪ vər /

noun

1. a person who buys, sells, or owns human beings; an enslaver.

2. slave ship.

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slaver ² American  

[slav-er, sley-ver, slah-] / ˈslæv ər, ˈsleɪ vər, ˈslɑ- /

verb (used without object)

1. to let saliva run from the mouth; slobber; drool.

2. to fawn.

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verb (used with object)

1. Archaic. to smear with saliva.

noun

1. saliva coming from the mouth.

2. drivel.

slaver ¹ British  

/ ˈslævə /

verb

1. to dribble saliva

2. (often foll by over)

   1. to fawn or drool (over someone)

   2. to show great desire (for); lust (after)

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noun

1. saliva dribbling from the mouth

2. informal drivel

slaver ² British  

/ ˈsleɪvə /

noun

1. an owner of or dealer in slaves

2. another name for slave ship

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Other Word Forms

• slaverer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of slaver¹

First recorded in 1815–25; slave + -er ¹

Origin of slaver²

1275–1325; Middle English slaver (noun), slaveren (v.), probably < Scandinavian; compare Icelandic slafra to slobber

Explanation

Someone who brutally and cruelly forces people into servitude is a slaver. If you come across this word being used as a verb, it has an entirely different meaning (and pronunciation), to slobber or drool. You can use the historical word slaver to talk about the slave traders who captured and sold human beings into slavery, as well as the slave owners who forced enslaved people to work. It also describes the ships that transported enslaved Africans: "Many people died at sea on the slavers." When used as a verb, slaver is pronounced with a short a and it has a much gentler meaning. Your dog might start to slaver as you pour food into her dish.

Example Sentences

The Portuguese monarchy also hired explorers such as Alvise Cadamosto, a Venetian slaver sent to scout the region of Senegambia.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

The plaque was installed in the church after the 18th Century slaver died in Dorchester in 1744, aged 46, during a visit to England - he was Scottish by birth.

From BBC • Sep. 1, 2022

“Is he looking for the whole truth here? The fact that he was a slaver and ran slaves up to the colonies? That’s what the historical documents say,” Hunt said.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 7, 2022

But even as networks and streaming services slaver over intellectual property with prearranged fan bases, few mass-market romance novels have found their way to screens.

From New York Times • Dec. 28, 2020

But if he drops his price suddenly, the slaver will be suspicious.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir