1. unpaid labor demanded by a feudal lord from his vassals or by a government from its citizens
Usage: historical
2. a system of required public service or labor

Examples

• Medieval peasants were required to perform corvee labor on their lord’s estate.
• The corvee system forced villagers to work on road construction without pay.
• Under the old regime, corvee duties included maintaining bridges and fortifications.
• The government abolished the corvee after widespread protests from farmers.
• Corvee labor was used to build many ancient monuments and public works.
• The feudal corvee typically required several days of work per month.