White Slave
Preserved but no longer current.
A woman who is sold or forced into prostitution. The problem of White Slave Traffic, especially to South America, ^was taken up vigorously by the League of Nations, and in some measure the evil was mitigated through its exertions.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “White Slave” mean?
A woman who is sold or forced into prostitution. The problem of White Slave Traffic, especially to South America, ^was taken up vigorously by the League of Nations, and in some measure the evil was mitigated through its exertions.
Is “White Slave” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.