slaver (v.)

"to drool, slobber, dribble from the mouth," early 14c., slaveren, from Old Norse slafra "to slaver," probably imitative (compare slobber (v.)). Related: Slavered; slavering. The noun is from early 14c., "saliva."

slaver (n.)

"ship in the slave trade," 1830, agent noun from slave (v.), perhaps from earlier slave-ship (1792). The meaning "person in the slave trade" is from 1842.