slaver
UK: ˈslævə | US: ˈslævər
vi. to let saliva run from the mouth; drool
n. saliva running from the mouth
n. (archaic) a person engaged in the slave trade
The verb "slaver" (to drool) originates from Old Norse "slafra," imitative of the sound of drooling. The noun form meaning "slave trader" derives from "slave" (Old French "esclave," from Medieval Latin "sclavus," referring to Slavic peoples enslaved in the Middle Ages) + the agent suffix "-er." Though homographic, the two meanings have distinct etymological paths—one onomatopoeic, the other socio-historical.
The dog began to slaver at the smell of roasted meat.
Infants often slaver when teething.
The historical museum exposed the brutal practices of 18th-century slavers.
He wiped the slaver from the baby’s chin with a cloth.
The novel depicted a slaver’s moral conflict over his trade.