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View synonyms for serf
serf
[ surf ]
noun
- a person in a condition of feudal servitude, required to render services to a lord, commonly attached to the lord's land and transferred with it from one owner to another.
- a worker who is underpaid, overworked, or otherwise exploited:
Today's service-sector serfs are fighting for the most basic of job perks: a decent paycheck, a stable schedule, and paid time off when they are sick.
- Obsolete. a person held in bondage or slavery.
serf
/ sɜːf /
noun
- (esp in medieval Europe) an unfree person, esp one bound to the land. If his lord sold the land, the serf was passed on to the new landlord
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Derived Forms
- ˈserfˌlike, adjective
- ˈserfdom, noun
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Other Words From
- serf·dom [surf, -d, uh, m] noun
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Word History and Origins
Origin of serf1
First recorded in 1475–85; from Old French, from Latin servus “slave”
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Word History and Origins
Origin of serf1
C15: from Old French, from Latin servus a slave; see serve
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Example Sentences
"Fergan must have remained behind in the quarry where he cuts stone," remarked another serf.
From Project Gutenberg
The bailiff having finished his reading, beckoned to a serf named Peter the Lame.
From Project Gutenberg
The imprecations and the foot-falls of the serf alone interrupted the silence of the night.
From Project Gutenberg
Accidentally the bailiff caught sight of the blind serf, mutilated of his four limbs.
From Project Gutenberg
The young serf had a somberer and wilder look, her tears had dried, but her eyes shot lightning.
From Project Gutenberg
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