white-slave

Definition

  1. Noun:

    • A person forced into prostitution: "white-slave" historically refers to a person, especially a woman or girl, who is coerced or trafficked into prostitution, often across international borders. The term is now considered dated and potentially offensive due to its racial implications.

  2. Adjective:

    • Relating to the trafficking of persons for prostitution: "white-slave" describes activities or systems involved in the coercion and transportation of individuals for sexual exploitation.
Usage Examples

  • Noun:

    • The novel tells the story of a young white-slave who was taken from her home and sold. (A young woman forced into prostitution.)
    • Activists fought to end the white-slave trade in the early 20th century. (The trafficking of persons for prostitution.)

  • Adjective:

    • The white-slave traffic was a major social concern in Victorian England. (The system of trafficking people for prostitution.)
    • Laws were passed to combat white-slave rings. (Organizations involved in trafficking.)
Advanced Usage

  • "white-slave traffic": the business or practice of trafficking persons, especially women, for prostitution.

    • The Mann Act was enacted in the United States to prohibit white-slave traffic across state lines. (The transportation of women for immoral purposes.)

  • "white-slave trade": a historical term for the international trafficking of people for sexual exploitation, often conflated with race-specific fears.

    • Sensationalized reports of the white-slave trade led to moral panics in the early 1900s. (Exaggerated claims about trafficking.)
Variants and Related Words

  • White slavery (n): the condition or practice of being a white-slave.

    • White slavery was a term used to describe forced prostitution, though it is now criticized for its racial focus.

  • White-slaveholder (n): a person who profits from or participates in the white-slave trade.

    • The white-slaveholder was tried and convicted for trafficking. (A trafficker.)
Synonyms
  • Trafficked person: a person who has been illegally transported for forced labor or exploitation.
  • Prostitute (forced): a person compelled to engage in sexual acts for money.
Related Idioms
  • To be sold into white slavery: to be forced into prostitution through trafficking.
    • She was sold into white slavery as a teenager. (She was trafficked and forced into prostitution.)
Cultural and Historical Note

The term "white-slave" is historically tied to early 20th-century moral panics about the trafficking of white women, often ignoring the exploitation of women of other races. Modern usage prefers terms like "human trafficking victim" or "sex trafficking survivor" to avoid racial bias and stigmatization.