Slava
//ˈslɑːvə// name, noun
name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The custom of honoring a family patron saint, celebrated chiefly by the Serbs, but also by some Macedonians, Montenegrins, Bulgarians and Gorani.
"1942: I was also enchanted at the opportunity of seeing a Slava (the word means ‘Holy’), which is the distinctive social custom of the Serbs. — Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (Canongate 2006, p. 753)"
Proper Noun
- 1 A transliteration of the Russian or Ukrainian male given name diminutive Сла́ва (Sláva)
Example
More examples"1942: I was also enchanted at the opportunity of seeing a Slava (the word means ‘Holy’), which is the distinctive social custom of the Serbs. — Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (Canongate 2006, p. 753)"
Etymology
From South Slavic slava / слава (slava), literally "fame, honour". The word is also used in some Slavic languages to wish blessings to another person.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.