Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The state of one who is bound as a slave or serf.
- noun A state of subjection to a force, power, or influence.
- noun The practice of being physically restrained, as with cords or handcuffs, as a means of attaining sexual gratification.
- noun Villeinage.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To reduce to bondage or slavery; enslave.
- noun In old English law, villeinage; tenure of land by performing the meanest services for a superior.
- noun In Scot. agri., the state of, or services due by, a bondager. See
bondager . - noun [From the foregoing extract it will be seen that formerly the system had place not only, as now, between farmer and laborer, but also between proprietor and farmer.]
- noun Obligation; tie of duty; binding power or influence.
- noun Slavery or involuntary servitude; serfdom.
- noun Captivity; imprisonment; restraint of a person's liberty by compulsion.
- noun Figuratively, subjection to some power or influence: as, he is in bondage to his appetites.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The state of being bound; condition of being under restraint; restraint of personal liberty by compulsion; involuntary servitude; slavery; captivity.
- noun Obligation; tie of duty.
- noun (Old Eng. Law) Villenage; tenure of land on condition of doing the meanest services for the owner.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The state of being
enslaved or the practice ofslavery . - noun by extension The state of lacking
freedom ;constraint . - noun The practice of
tying people up forsexual pleasure . - noun attributive Applied to
clothing with manybuckles ,zips , etc., associated withpunk andgoth subcultures.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the state of being under the control of another person
- noun the state of being under the control of a force or influence or abstract power
- noun sexual practice that involves physically restraining (by cords or handcuffs) one of the partners
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Does this falsify the declarations of Scripture, that 'they sighed by reason of their bondage,' and that the Egyptians 'made them serve _with rigor_,' and made 'their lives bitter with _hard bondage_.'
The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus American Anti-Slavery Society
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Does this falsify the declarations of Scripture, that 'they sighed by reason of their bondage,' and that the Egyptians 'made them serve _with rigor_,' and made 'their lives bitter with _hard bondage_.'
The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Part 3 of 4 American Anti-Slavery Society
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“Mu’attik al-Rikáb” i.e. who frees those in bondage from the yoke.
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This was an entirely new punishment for people who, when they were in a state of what was called bondage, thought nothing was shameful or “illegitimate” about unmarried parents.
A Renegade History of the United States Thaddeus Russell 2010
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Edward begins his journey by leaving “a house on Egypt Street” where he is in bondage to his inability to love.
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Edward begins his journey by leaving “a house on Egypt Street” where he is in bondage to his inability to love.
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"These clever Egyptian fetters we contingency break/Or remove myself in bondage," says Antony, reprogrammed for a impulse as a responsible Roman.
Archive 2009-11-01 admin 2009
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Edward begins his journey by leaving “a house on Egypt Street” where he is in bondage to his inability to love.
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"These clever Egyptian fetters we contingency break/Or remove myself in bondage," says Antony, reprogrammed for a impulse as a responsible Roman.
Philadelphia Reflections: Shakspere Society of Philadelphia admin 2009
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They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Libertarian Principles, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
bilby commented on the word bondage
Egad! No bondage!
October 18, 2008
trevorbutterworth commented on the word bondage
Government issue of bonds
January 8, 2009