slave
B2Formal, historical, sensitive, can be figurative in informal contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A person who is legally owned by another and forced to obey them without personal freedom or rights.
Someone who is completely dominated by or excessively devoted to something (e.g., work, a habit), or a device directly controlled by another.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily refers to the historical institution of chattel slavery; its figurative use ('slave to fashion') is common but can trivialize the historical suffering. Use with historical and ethical awareness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical differences. Both use the term for historical and modern contexts (e.g., modern slavery).
Connotations
Equally heavy historical and moral connotations in both dialects. Figurative use ('slave driver') is also common in both.
Frequency
Similar frequency. The term is less common in casual conversation due to its weight, but appears frequently in historical, academic, and human rights discussions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
slave over somethingslave away (at something)be enslaved to/by somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Slave away”
- “Slave over a hot stove”
- “Work like a slave”
- “Wage slave (figurative)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used critically in phrases like 'wage slave' to describe exploitative labor. In tech, 'master/slave' terminology is now widely deprecated.
Academic
Central term in historical, sociological, and post-colonial studies discussing systems of forced labor and their legacies.
Everyday
Most common in figurative use ('I'm a slave to my phone') or in discussions of history/news about modern slavery.
Technical
In computing, historically described a subordinate process or device (e.g., slave drive). This usage is now replaced by terms like 'primary/secondary', 'leader/follower', etc.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She's been slaving away in the kitchen all morning for the dinner party.
- He slaved over his thesis for months to get it perfect.
American English
- I slaved over this presentation all night, so I hope it's good.
- They're slaving away at the new startup, working 80-hour weeks.
adverb
British English
- (Rarely used; 'slavishly' is the standard adverbial form) He followed the instructions slavishly, without any creative thought.
American English
- (Rarely used; 'slavishly' is the standard adverbial form) The movie adaptation was slavishly faithful to the book.
adjective
British English
- The slave trade was abolished in the British Empire in 1807.
- She had a slavish devotion to the rules, never bending them.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Long ago, some people were slaves.
- He works like a slave in his garden.
- The history museum had an exhibition on the Atlantic slave trade.
- I feel like a slave to my smartphone sometimes.
- She slaved over the project for weeks, ensuring every detail was correct.
- The novel explores the life of an enslaved woman fighting for her freedom.
- The economist argued that consumerism has created a generation of wage slaves, perpetually in debt.
- The regime was accused of using slave labour in its state-owned industries.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SLAVE: Someone Legally Owned, Always in Voluntary Exile (from freedom).
Conceptual Metaphor
SLAVERY IS OWNERSHIP / SLAVERY IS DOMINATION. Figuratively: AN OBSESSION IS A MASTER ('slave to duty').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'раб' for light figurative contexts (e.g., 'раб работы') as it sounds overly dramatic and insensitive in English. Prefer phrases like 'I'm chained to my desk'.
- The adjective 'slavish' (рабский) is almost always negative in English, implying mindless imitation.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'slave' as a casual verb without object/preposition (Incorrect: 'I slaved the report.' Correct: 'I slaved over the report.').
- Confusing 'slave' (noun) with 'enslave' (verb).
- Using the tech term 'slave' in modern technical writing; it is considered non-inclusive.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the MOST appropriate modern term when discussing people held in historical bondage?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be seen as insensitive as it trivializes the brutality of historical slavery. Many style guides recommend avoiding such figurative uses in formal writing.
A slave is considered legal property and can be bought/sold. A serf is bound to work on a specific piece of land but is not owned as movable property; it's a feudal status.
The terminology is criticized for evoking the history of slavery and is considered non-inclusive. The tech industry is adopting neutral alternatives like 'primary/replica', 'controller/peripheral', etc.
Yes, but almost exclusively in the phrasal verb 'slave away' or 'slave over', meaning to work very hard. It is informal and often used hyperbolically.
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