slavery

English

Etymology 1

From slave +‎ -ery.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈsleɪvəɹi/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

slavery (usually uncountable, plural slaveries)

  1. An institution or social practice of owning human beings as property, especially for use as forced laborers.
  2. A condition of servitude endured by a slave.
  3. (figuratively) A condition in which one is captivated or subjugated, as by greed or drugs.
    • 1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley,"The Revolt of Islam", canto 8, stanza 16,
      Man seeks for gold in mines that he may weave / A lasting chain for his own slavery.
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
See also

Etymology 2

slaver +‎ -y

Adjective

slavery (comparative more slavery, superlative most slavery)

  1. Covered in slaver; slobbery.
    • 2014, Lisa Williamson, Echoes of Elder Times Collection
      The giant snow bear, the wolf with slavery jaws or the claws of the silent great cats were all a part. Creatures of man's oldest nightmares were the other side of that face.

References
  • slavery in An American Dictionary of the English Language, by Noah Webster, 1828.
  • slavery in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
  • “slavery” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
  • Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.

Anagrams
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