Slave

Slave, slāv, n. a captive in servitude: any one in bondage: a serf: one who labours like a slave: a drudge: one wholly under the will of another: one who has lost all power of resistance.—v.i. to work like a slave: to drudge.—adj. Slave′-born, born in slavery.—ns. Slave′-drī′ver, one who superintends slaves at their work; Slave′-fork, a long and heavy branch into the forked end of which a slave's neck is fixed to prevent his escaping from the slave-trader's gang.—adj. Slave′-grown, grown on land worked by slaves.—ns. Slave′-hold′er, an owner of slaves; Slave′-hold′ing; Slave′-hunt, a hunt after runaway slaves; Slā′ver, a ship employed in the slave-trade; Slā′very, the state of being a slave: serfdom: the state of being entirely under the will of another: bondage: drudgery; Slave′-ship, a ship used for transporting slaves.—n.pl. Slave′-states, those states of the American Union which maintained domestic slavery before the Civil War—Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee.—ns. Slave′-trade, the trade of buying and selling slaves; Slave′-trā′der, a trader in slaves; Slā′vey (slang), a domestic drudge, a maid-servant.—adj. Slā′vish, of or belonging to slaves: becoming slaves: servile: mean: base: laborious.—adv. Slā′vishly.—ns. Slā′vishness; Slāvoc′racy, slave-owners collectively, or their interests, &c.; Slā′vocrat, a member of the slavocracy. [O. Fr. esclave—Mid. High Ger. slave (Ger. sclave), from Slav, above.]