Serf

serf, n. A servant or slave employed in hus- bandry; usually one bound to work on a certain estate, and thus attached to the soil. [F.; L. servus, a slave: see Serve.] — Serfdom, -dum, n. State or condition of serfs. Serge, sSrj, w. A woolen twilled stuff, the warp of which is worsted and the weft woolen. [F.; L. seric a, prop. fem. of seric us, silken, also pert, to the (Seres, Chinese: see Silk.] — Seri'ceo us, -rish'us, a. Pert, to, ar consisting of, silk; silky. [L. sericeus.] Sergeant, -jeant.sar'jent or ser'jent, n. Formerly, an officer in Eng., nearly answering to the more modern bailiff of the hundred. (AliL) A non-commi ioned officer, next in rank above the corporal, in a company of infantry or troop of cavalry, whose duty to instruct recruits in discipline, to form the ranks, etc. In Eng., a lawyer of the highest rank. [OF. sergant, serjant, fr. LL. servients, a servant, va al, soldier, prop. p. pr. of L. servire, to serve, q. v.] — Ser'geant-at-arms', n. (Legislative Bodies.) An officer who executes the commands of the body in preserving order and punishing offenses. — Ser'- geant-ma'jor, n. (Mil.) A non-commi ioned officer who a ists the adjutant. — Ser'geancy, -jen-si, -geantship, n. Office of, etc. Sericeous. See under Serge. Series, se'rez or se'rT-ez, n. A number of things or events standing or succeeding in order, or connected by a like relation; a line or row of things. (Nat. Hist.) An order or subdivision of some cla of natural bodies. (Math.) An indefinite number of terms succeeding one another, increasing or diminishing by a fixed law. [L. series, serere, sertum, to join or bind together; Gr. eirein to bind, seir a, a rope, Skr. sar it, thread; E. seraglio, serried, a ert, concert, exert, etc.] — Se'rial, -rt-al, a. Pert, to, or consisting of, a series; appearing in succe ive parts. n. A work appearing in a series or succe ion of parts; a tale, or other writing, published in succe ive numbers of a periodical. — Se'ria'tim, adv. In regular order. [L.]