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Serf vs Nerf - What's the difference?

serf | nerf |

As a noun serf

is a partially free peasant of a low hereditary class, slavishly attached to the land owned by a feudal lord and required to perform labour, enjoying minimal legal or customary rights.

As a verb nerf is

to bump lightly, whether accidentally or purposefully.

serf

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A partially free peasant of a low hereditary class, slavishly attached to the land owned by a feudal lord and required to perform labour, enjoying minimal legal or customary rights.
  • A similar agricultural labourer in 18th and 19th century Europe.
  • (strategy games) A worker unit.

    • Synonyms

    * (strategy games) peasant, peon, villager

    Derived terms

    * serfage * serfdom * serfhood * serfish * serfism

    Related terms

    * service * servile * servitor * servitude * servo

    See also

    * slave

    Anagrams

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    nerf

    English

    (NERF)

    Etymology 1

    From automobile racing; to bump another car (ca. 1950s?).

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (auto racing) To bump lightly, whether accidentally or purposefully.
    • A racer will often nerf another as a psychological tactic.

    Derived terms

    * nerf bar * nerf net

    Etymology 2

    From the trademark NERF (an abbreviation of "non-expanding recreational foam"), a range of toys made of soft foam, ineffective as actual weapons (1969).

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (slang) to water down, dumb down or especially weaken, particularly in video games.
    • The lightning spell was pretty powerful before they nerfed it.

    Anagrams

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