serf
serf Lexical Profile
serf Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An agricultural laborer bound under the feudal system to work on their lord's estate and subject to the lord's will.
"Under medieval law, a serf could not leave the manor or marry without the lord's explicit permission."
A person who is exploited, oppressed, or treated like a menial drudge by an employer or authority.
"The unpaid interns complained that they were treated like corporate serfs fetching coffee and working twelve-hour days."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse with the homophone 'surf', which refers to ocean waves or browsing the internet. Historically, a 'serf' differed from an outright slave by being legally bound to a specific plot of land rather than owned as movable personal property.
• Rhymes for serf
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 15th century from Old French 'serf', which derives from the Latin 'servus' meaning 'slave' or 'servant' (the same root that gives English 'serve' and 'servant').