noun
- a woman or girl held in slavery or servitude; a female slave or serf
Usage: archaic; historical
Examples
- In ancient Rome, a bondwoman had no legal rights and could be bought or sold by her master.
- The bondwoman was required to work in the household without pay or freedom.
- Historical records describe the difficult lives of bondwomen in colonial America.
- She was born a bondwoman but eventually gained her freedom.
- The novel depicts the struggles of a bondwoman seeking liberation.