slave

/sleɪv/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: slaves · slaving · slaved

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A person who is held in servitude as the property of another person, and whose labor (and often also whose body and life) is subject to the owner's volition and control.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Người bị giữ làm nô lệ, phải tuân theo ý chí của chủ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Fear of their cargo bred a savage cruelty into the crew. One captain, to strike terror into the rest, killed a slave and dividing heart, liver and entrails into 300 pieces made each of the slaves eat one, threatening those who refused with the same torture. Such incidents were not rare.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A drudge; one who labors or is obliged (e.g. by prior contract) to labor like a slave with limited rights, e.g. an indentured servant.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Người làm việc nặng nhọc với quyền hạn bị giới hạn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To work as a slaver, to enslave people.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Buôn bán nô lệ, bắt người làm nô lệ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

MASSINISSA: Wilt thou be slaved? SOPHONISBA: No, free

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

To work hard.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Làm việc chăm chỉ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

I was slaving all day over a hot stove.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “slave” mean?

A person who is held in servitude as the property of another person, and whose labor (and often also whose body and life) is subject to the owner's volition and control.

Is “slave” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.