bondman

C2 Topic:Social Issues & Human Rights

US /ˈbɑːnd.mən/ UK /ˈbɒnd.mən/ See IPA manual

Freq #183718

Meanings

1

noun
historical: an enslaved man held in personal bondage

The document records that the bondman was sold together with the estate's livestock.
2

noun
historical: a male serf or other unfree laborer bound to serve a lord or work particular land

The bondman owed labor on the lord's fields for several days each week.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · historical: an enslaved man... enslaved manslavebondsman

2 noun · historical: a male serf or... serfvilleinbondsman

Opposites

freemanfree man

Word family

Forms bondmen

Derived forms bondwomanbondmaid

Related forms bondagebondservantserfdom thrall

Etymology

From Middle English bond ("tenant farmer, serf") + man. That bond probably came from Old Norse bondi ("householder, farmer"). Under feudalism its social sense deteriorated from farmer to unfree tenant or slave and later became associated with the unrelated ideas of being bound and in bondage.

Topics

Social Issues & Human Rights

External links

# bondman

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈbɑːnd.mən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈbɒnd.mən/
**Frequency rank:** 183718

## Meanings
1. historical: an enslaved man held in personal bondage
2. historical: a male serf or other unfree laborer bound to serve a lord or work particular land

## Examples
- The document records that the bondman was sold together with the estate's livestock.
- The bondman owed labor on the lord's fields for several days each week.

## Synonyms
- enslaved man
- slave
- serf
- villein
- bondsman

## Antonyms
- freeman
- free man

## Derived Forms
- bondwoman
- bondmaid

## Related Forms
- bondage
- bondservant
- serfdom
- thrall

## Etymology
From Middle English bond ("tenant farmer, serf") + man. That bond probably came from Old Norse bondi ("householder, farmer"). Under feudalism its social sense deteriorated from farmer to unfree tenant or slave and later became associated with the unrelated ideas of being bound and in bondage.

## Topics
- Social Issues & Human Rights

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