corvee

Pronunciation: /kɔːɹˈveɪ/

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun unpaid labor (as for the maintenance of roads) required by a lord of his vassals in lieu of taxes

Etymology

From French corvée, from Late Latin conrogāta, derived from Latin conrogāre (“call together by entreaty”).

In classic literature

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
labor

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