Slave \Slave\ (sl[=a]v), n. [Cf. F. esclave, D. slaaf, Dan.
slave, sclave, Sw. slaf, all fr. G. sklave, MHG. also slave,
from the national name of the Slavonians, or Sclavonians (in
LL. Slavi or Sclavi), who were frequently made slaves by the
Germans. See Slav.]
1. A person who is held in bondage to another; one who is
wholly subject to the will of another; one who is held as
a chattel; one who has no freedom of action, but whose
person and services are wholly under the control of
another.
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Art thou our slave,
Our captive, at the public mill our drudge?
--Milton.
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2. One who has lost the power of resistance; one who
surrenders himself to any power whatever; as, a slave to
passion, to lust, to strong drink, to ambition.
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3. A drudge; one who labors like a slave.
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4. An abject person; a wretch. --Shak.
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Slave ant (Zool.), any species of ants which is captured
and enslaved by another species, especially Formica
fusca of Europe and America, which is commonly enslaved
by Formica sanguinea.
Slave catcher, one who attempted to catch and bring back a
fugitive slave to his master.
Slave coast, part of the western coast of Africa to which
slaves were brought to be sold to foreigners.
Slave driver, one who superintends slaves at their work;
hence, figuratively, a cruel taskmaster.
Slave hunt.
(a) A search after persons in order to reduce them to
slavery. --Barth.
(b) A search after fugitive slaves, often conducted with
bloodhounds.
Slave ship, a vessel employed in the slave trade or used
for transporting slaves; a slaver.
Slave trade, the business of dealing in slaves, especially
of buying them for transportation from their homes to be
sold elsewhere.
Slave trader, one who traffics in slaves.
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Syn: Bond servant; bondman; bondslave; captive; henchman;
vassal; dependent; drudge. See Serf.
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SLAVE TRADE, criminal law. The infamous traffic in human flesh, which though
not prohibited by the law of nations, is now forbidden by the laws and
treaties of most civilized states.
2. By the constitution of the United States, art. 1, s. 9, it is
provided, that the "migration or importation of such persons as any of the
states now existing (in 1789,) shall think proper to admit, shall not be
prohibited by the congress, prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and
eight." Previously to that date several laws were enacted, which it is not
within the plan of this work to cite at large or to analyze; they are here
referred to, namely; act of 1794, c. 11, 1 Story's laws U. S. 319; act of
1800, c. 51, 1 Story's Laws U. S. 780 act of 1803, c. 63, 2 Story's Laws U.
S 886; act of 1807, c. 77, 2 Story's Laws U. S. 1050; these several acts
forbid citizens of the United States, under certain circumstances, to equip
or build vessels for the purpose of carrying on the slave trade, and the
last mentioned act makes it highly penal to import slaves into the United
States after the first day of January, 1808. The act of 1818, c. 86, 3
Story's Laws U. S. 1698 the act of 1819, c. 224, 3 Story's Laws U. S. 1752;
and the act of 1820, c. 113, 3 Story's Laws U. S. 1798, contain further
prohibition of the slave trade, and punish tho violation of their several
provisions with the highest penalties of the law. Vide, generally, 10 Wheat.
R. 66; 2 Mason, R. 409; 1 Acton, 240; 1 Dodson, 81, 91, 95; 2 Dodson, 238; 6
Mass. R. 358; 2 Cranch, 336; 3 Dall. R. 297; 1 Wash. C. C. Rep. 522; 4 Id.
91; 3 Mason, R. 175; 9 Wheat. R. 391; 6 Cranch, 330; 5 Wheat. R. 338; 8 Id.
380; 10 Id. 312; 1 Kent, Com. 191.
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