corvee

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UK/ˈkɔːveɪ/US/kɔːɹˈveɪ/

noun

Unpaid labor required by a feudal lord.

OriginFrench corvée ← Late Latin conrogāta ← Latin conrogāre →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

nouncorvee (countable and uncountable, plural corvees)

plural corvees · alternative corvée

  1. countableuncountableUnpaid labor required by a feudal lord.
  2. countableuncountableLabor, especially for roads or dams, in lieu of taxes.

Origin

  1. Latinconrogāre“call together by entreaty”
  2. Late Latinconrogāta
  3. Frenchcorvée
  4. Englishcorvee

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

More words from French, Late Latin, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀγγαρεία, ἀγγαρία
  • ἀγγαρεία (angareía)labor in lieu of taxes
  • ἀγγαρία (angaría)labor in lieu of taxes
Arabic سُخْرَة, سُخْرَة
  • سُخْرَة (suḵra)unpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • سُخْرَة (suḵra)labor in lieu of taxes
  • كُوج (kūj)labor in lieu of taxes
Bulgarian кулу́к, ангари́я
  • кулу́к (kulúk)unpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • ангари́я (angaríja)labor in lieu of taxes
Catalan jova, jova
  • jovaunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • jovalabor in lieu of taxes
Chinese Mandarin 勞役 /劳役, 差役
  • 勞役 /劳役 (láoyì)unpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • 差役 (chāiyì)unpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • 徭役 (yáoyì)unpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • 勞役 /劳役 (láoyì)labor in lieu of taxes
  • 差役 (chāiyì)labor in lieu of taxes
  • 徭役 (yáoyì)labor in lieu of taxes
Czech robota
  • robotaunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
Danish hoveri
  • hoveriunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
Estonian teoorjus
  • teoorjusunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
Finnish taksvärkki, taksvärkki
  • taksvärkkiunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • taksvärkkilabor in lieu of taxes
French corvée, corvée
  • corvéeunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • corvéelabor in lieu of taxes
German Fron, Frone
  • Fronunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • Froneunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • Frondienstunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • Fronlabor in lieu of taxes
  • Fronelabor in lieu of taxes
  • Frondienstlabor in lieu of taxes
Greek αγγαρεία
  • αγγαρεία (angareía)labor in lieu of taxes
Hungarian jobbágyság, jobbágyság
  • jobbágyságunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • jobbágyságlabor in lieu of taxes
Indonesian korve, kerja paksa
  • korveunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • kerja paksaunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • kerja rodiunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • rodiunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
Latin opera, conrogāta
  • operaunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • conrogātaunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • servitium dēterminātumunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • angarīalabor in lieu of taxes
  • opera pūblicalabor in lieu of taxes
Latvian klaušas, klaušas
  • klaušasunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • klaušaslabor in lieu of taxes
Lithuanian baudžiava, baudžiava
  • baudžiavaunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • baudžiavalabor in lieu of taxes
Malay amalan kerah
  • amalan kerahunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
Persian بیگار, شاکار
  • بیگار (bigâr)unpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • شاکار (šâkâr)unpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • مچرگ (mačarg)unpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • کوچ (kuč)labor in lieu of taxes
Polish pańszczyzna, pańszczyzna
  • pańszczyznaunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • pańszczyznalabor in lieu of taxes
  • szarwarklabor in lieu of taxes
Portuguese corvea, angueira
  • corveaunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • angueiralabor in lieu of taxes
Russian ба́рщина, тя́гло
  • ба́рщина (bárščina)unpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • тя́гло (tjáglo)labor in lieu of taxes
Spanish corvea, angaria
  • corveaunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • angarialabor in lieu of taxes
Turkish kulluk, angarya
  • kullukunpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • angaryalabor in lieu of taxes
Ukrainian па́нщина, па́нщина
  • па́нщина (pánščyna)unpaid labor required by a feudal lord
  • па́нщина (pánščyna)labor in lieu of taxes

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

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Cite this entry
APA

corvee. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/corvee

MLA

“corvee.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/corvee. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “corvee,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/corvee.

Source: corvee on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.