Used almost exclusively attributively (e.g., "slave labour", "slave flash"). Comparatives and superlatives are extremely rare and normally formed periphrastically, so only the positive degree is listed.

Synonyms

servile

subservient

obsequious

Definitions

slavenoun

A person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them.

The slave worked tirelessly in the fields from dawn until dusk.

A person who is excessively dependent upon or controlled by something.

He was a slave to his smartphone, unable to put it down even during meals.

A device or part of a machine that is directly controlled by another.

The slave unit in the system receives commands from the master controller.

slaveverb

To work excessively hard or with great effort, often under difficult or oppressive conditions.

She slaved away in the kitchen all day to prepare the feast.

To connect or configure (a device or system) so that it is controlled by another (the master).

The technician slaved the backup drive to the main server.

slaveadjective

Relating to or characteristic of slaves or slavery; used to describe something associated with forced labor or subjugation.

The plantation relied on slave labor for its operations.

Denoting a component, device, or process that is subordinate to and controlled by another of the same type.

In a master–slave configuration, the slave server replicates all changes made on the master.

Controlled by another device, system, or signal; subordinate (contrasted with master).

The photographer triggered a slave flash to light the background.