corvée

UK: /ˈkɔːveɪ/ US: (kôr vā′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

cor•vée  (kôr vā′), n. 

1. Government unpaid labor for one day, as on the repair of roads, exacted by a feudal lord.
2. Government an obligation imposed on inhabitants of a district to perform services, as repair of roads, bridges, etc., for little or no remuneration.

• Late Latin corrogāta contribution, collection, noun, nominal use of feminine of Latin corrogātus (past participle of corrogāre to collect by asking), equivalent. to cor- cor- + rogā(re) to ask + -tus past participle suffix
• Middle French
• Middle English 1300–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

corvée / ˈkɔːveɪ/ noun

1. a day's unpaid labour owed by a feudal vassal to his lord
2. the practice or an instance of forced labour

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French, from Late Latin corrogāta contribution, from Latin corrogāre to collect, from rogāre to ask