Bozal
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Alternative letter-case form of bozal. alt-of
"it was occasioned by the loss of so many valuable Bozals, or newly imported Africans"
- 2 A (black) slave recently brought to a (European, especially Spanish) colony from Africa. historical
- 3 Alternative form of bosal (“noseband on a horse”). alt-of, alternative, uncommon
"The more tightly these nosebands are attached, the more the horse is likely to raise his head and nose. For ordinary pleasure riding, attach this equipment to allow one or two fingers sideways between the bozal and the underside of the jaw."
- 1 Alternative letter-case form of bozal. alt-of, not-comparable
"I was assured that the labour of eight emancipated Africans was considered equal to that of twelve apprenticed labourers born in the colony; and on the same principle, a Bozal African, fresh from one of the market places of the Havana, commands an average price of twenty-four ounces of gold when sold by retail"
- 2 Of a slave, recently brought to a colony from Africa. historical, not-comparable
Example
More examples"I was assured that the labour of eight emancipated Africans was considered equal to that of twelve apprenticed labourers born in the colony; and on the same principle, a Bozal African, fresh from one of the market places of the Havana, commands an average price of twenty-four ounces of gold when sold by retail"
Etymology
From Spanish bozal (“recently-imported slave; noseband”). Doublet of bossale and bosal.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.