serf

/'sə:f/

Thân thiện

A serf works the fields for the feudal lord.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person in a feudal system legally bound to work on a specific lord's land: A serf is a laborer who is not free to leave the land they work on and is subject to the control of a feudal lord. This status was common in medieval Europe.
   • A person in a condition of servitude or bondage: By extension, the term can describe someone who is oppressed or exploited, lacking personal freedom.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • In medieval Europe, a serf was tied to the manor and could not leave without the lord's permission.
  • The life of a serf was one of hard labor in exchange for protection and the right to farm a small plot for themselves.
  • (Figurative) He felt like a corporate serf, bound to his desk with no hope of advancement.

Advanced Usage

• "To live like a serf": To live in conditions of great hardship and lack of freedom.

  • After the economic collapse, many people were forced to live like serfs, working long hours for very little pay.

• "Serfdom" (n): The state or condition of being a serf; the feudal system that utilized serfs.

  • The abolition of serfdom was a major social change in Russian history.

Variants and Related Words

• Serfdom (n): The system or condition of being a serf.
• Serfhood (n): Synonym for serfdom; the state of being a serf.
• Villein (n): A type of serf in medieval England who had more rights and privileges than other serfs but was still bound to the land.

Synonyms

• Bondsman: A person who is bound by contract or law to serve another.
• Vassal: A holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance to a lord (note: a vassal was typically of higher status than a serf).
• Peon: (Especially in Latin America) an unskilled farm worker or laborer, often in a condition of debt bondage.
• Thrall: (Archaic) a slave, servant, or captive.

Antonyms

• Freeman: A person who is not a slave or serf; one enjoying personal and political liberty.
• Lord: A man of high rank in a feudal society, especially one who owned land and had serfs working it.
• Citizen: A legally recognized member of a state, entitled to its rights and protections.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Born a serf, die a serf": An expression highlighting the lack of social mobility in feudal systems, where one's status was fixed for life.
  • In that rigid society, it was a case of born a serf, die a serf; there was no escaping your fate.

Học thuật

Noun

1. (Middle Ages) a person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lord

Từ đồng nghĩa

• helot
• villein