English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

slaughtering

noun

The act of killing animals or people, especially on a large scale.

Slav

noun

A member of one of the peoples of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe who speak a Slavic language, such as Russian, Polish, or Serbian.

slava

noun

A family feast day held in honor of a household's patron saint, a tradition kept mainly by Serbian families and also observed by some of their Balkan neighbors.

slave

noun

A person legally owned by another and forced to work without freedom or pay.

slaver

noun

A person who trades in or owns slaves.

slavery

noun

The practice or system of owning people as property and forcing them to work.

Slavic

adjective

Relating to the Slavs, their cultures, or their languages.

slaving

noun

The practice of capturing, holding, or transporting people as slaves.

slaw

noun

A salad made of shredded raw cabbage, usually with a creamy or vinegary dressing; coleslaw.

slay

verb

To kill.

slayer

noun

A person or thing that kills; a killer.

slaying

noun

A killing, especially a murder.

sleaze

noun

Dishonest or immoral behavior, especially involving corruption or inappropriate sexual conduct.

sleazebag

noun

A morally disreputable or sleazy person (informal, derogatory).

sleazy

adjective

Dishonest, corrupt, or morally low, often in a sordid or seedy way.

sled

noun

A small, light vehicle on runners, used for sliding down snowy hills for fun, usually by children.

sledding

noun

The activity of riding a sled down a slope, or hauling goods on one.

sledge

noun

A heavy, long-handled hammer used for driving stakes or breaking things apart; short for sledgehammer.

sledgehammer

noun

A large, heavy hammer with a long handle, swung with both hands to deliver powerful blows.

sleek

verb

To make something smooth, glossy, or polished.

sleep

verb

To rest in the natural state of reduced consciousness that the body needs each day.

sleeper

noun

Someone who is sleeping.

sleeping

adj

Currently asleep.

sleepless

adj

Unable to sleep, or marked by an absence of sleep.

sleepover

noun

A night spent as a guest at someone else's house, especially among children or teenagers.

sleepwalk

verb

To walk around or perform actions while still asleep.

sleepwalker

noun

A person who walks or performs actions while asleep.

sleepwalking

noun

The act of walking or moving around while still asleep and unaware of it.

sleepy

adj

Tired and wanting to sleep.

sleepyhead

noun

(informal) A person who is sleepy, or who tends to sleep in — often used affectionately.

sleet

noun

A wintry mix of rain and snow, or small pellets of ice formed from partly frozen raindrops.

sleeve

noun

The part of a garment that covers the arm.

sleigh

noun

A vehicle on runners, usually pulled by an animal, for carrying people or goods over snow or ice.

sleight

noun

Skillful, quick trickery, especially in performing a deceptive feat with the hands.

slender

adj

Thin and gracefully built.

sleuth

noun

A detective, especially a skilled one who investigates crimes or mysteries.

slew

noun

(informal) A large number or amount of something.

slice

noun

A thin, flat piece cut off from something larger.

sliced

adj

Cut into thin, flat pieces.

slicer

noun

A machine or tool used to cut something into slices.

slicing

noun

The action of cutting something into slices.

slick

adj

Smooth and slippery, often because of a coating of liquid.

slicker

noun

A long, waterproof coat.

slide

verb

To move smoothly along a surface while staying in contact with it.

slider

noun

An on-screen control that lets a user pick a value by dragging along a scale.

sliding

adj

Designed or able to move smoothly along a track or surface.

slight

adj

Small in degree or amount; minor.

slightly

adv

To a small degree or extent.

slim

adj

Thin, especially in an attractively slender way.

slime

noun

A thick, sticky, wet substance, such as the mucus produced by snails or slugs.

slimeball

noun

(informal) A dishonest, sleazy, or generally repellent person.

slimmer

noun

A person who is trying to lose weight.

slimming

adj

Making a person appear thinner.

slimy

adj

Covered in or resembling slime.

sling

verb

To throw something with a swinging or arcing motion.

slingshot

noun

A Y-shaped handheld device with an elastic band stretched between its arms, used to fire small stones or other projectiles.

slink

verb

To move quietly and furtively, often out of guilt, embarrassment, or a wish not to be noticed.

slinky

adj

Describing a garment that fits closely to the body and moves smoothly with it.

slip

verb

To lose one's footing or grip and slide accidentally.

slipped

adj

Having part of an underlying layer or stalk showing, as with certain garnished dishes.

slipper

noun

A soft, lightweight shoe made to be worn easily indoors.

slippery

adj

Having a smooth, low-friction surface that makes it easy to slide or fall.

slipping

noun

The act of losing grip or footing suddenly; a skid or sudden slide.

slips

noun

In cricket, the fielding positions just behind the batter on the off side, or the fielders standing there.

slipstream

noun

The pocket of reduced air pressure and turbulence directly behind a fast-moving vehicle or object.

slit

noun

A long, narrow cut or opening.

slither

verb

To move smoothly across a surface with a side-to-side, gliding motion, the way a snake does.

slithering

noun

The act of moving with a smooth, side-to-side gliding motion, as a snake does.

slitting

noun

The action or process of cutting something into a narrow opening or strip.

sliver

noun

A small, thin, often sharp piece cut or broken off from something larger.

Sloan

name

A surname and given name of Irish and Scottish origin, meaning "warrior" or "raider."

Sloane

name

A feminine given name and surname, a variant spelling of Sloan, of Irish and Scottish origin.

slob

noun

A person regarded as lazy, messy, or careless about their appearance.

slobber

verb

To let saliva drip or drool from the mouth.

slobbering

noun

The act of drooling or dribbling saliva messily, or of fawning over someone in an excessive, gushing way.

Slocum

name

An English surname, notably borne by sailor Joshua Slocum, the first person to sail solo around the world.

slog

noun

A long, tiring effort or period of hard, tedious work.

slogan

noun

A short, memorable phrase used to represent an idea, cause, or brand.

sloop

noun

A small sailboat with a single mast and one headsail.

slop

noun

A thick, messy liquid or semi-liquid substance, or unappetizing food.

slope

noun

A stretch of ground that rises or falls at an angle; or the steepness of any such surface or line.

sloping

adj

Rising or falling at an angle; slanted.

sloppy

adj

Careless, messy, or lacking neatness or precision.

sloshed

adj

Very drunk.

sloshing

noun

The sound or movement of liquid splashing about inside a container or space.

slot

noun

A narrow opening or groove designed to fit something into, or an assigned place in a schedule or sequence.

sloth

noun

Laziness or a strong reluctance to make an effort.

slouch

verb

To stand or sit with the shoulders and head drooping forward instead of upright.

slouching

noun

The posture or habit of drooping the shoulders and head instead of standing or sitting upright.

slough

noun

The old skin shed by a snake, or dead tissue that separates from a wound.

Slovak

adj

Relating to Slovakia, its people, or its language.

Slovakia

name

A landlocked country in Central Europe, officially the Slovak Republic, with Bratislava as its capital.

Slovenia

name

A small country in Central Europe on the Balkan Peninsula, formerly part of Yugoslavia, with Ljubljana as its capital.

slow

adj

Moving, acting, or happening at a low speed; not fast.

slower

adj

The comparative form of "slow," describing something with less speed than another.

slowing

noun

A reduction in speed; the act of losing pace or momentum.

slowly

adverb

At a slow speed or pace; not quickly.

slowpoke

noun

Someone who moves or acts unusually slowly, often to the annoyance of others.

slows

noun

An old folk name for milk sickness, an illness once common in frontier communities caused by drinking milk from cows that had eaten poisonous white snakeroot.

sludge

noun

Thick, soft, semi-liquid mud, waste, or sediment.

slug

noun

A soft-bodied, shell-less land mollusk related to the snail.

slugger

noun

A boxer known for throwing powerful punches.

slugging

noun

The act of hitting something or someone hard, especially repeatedly.

sluggish

adjective

Slow-moving, lacking energy or alertness.

sluice

noun

A gate or channel that controls the flow of water, often found in canals or dams.

slum

noun

A rundown, overcrowded urban area where residents live in poverty.

slumber

noun

Sleep, especially peaceful or restful sleep.

slumming

noun

Spending time in a place or among people considered of lower social status than one's own, often for novelty.

slump

verb

To sit or stand with a drooping, heavy posture, often from tiredness.

slur

noun

An offensive or insulting remark, especially one targeting a person's group identity.

slurp

verb

To eat or drink noisily, especially by sucking in liquid.

slurping

noun

The act or sound of eating or drinking noisily.

slurring

noun

The blending together of separate sounds in speech, music, or a heartbeat.

slurry

noun

A thick, semi-liquid mixture of solid particles suspended in liquid.

slush

noun

Partly melted snow or ice, typically slippery and messy.

slut

noun

A derogatory term for a woman perceived as sexually promiscuous.

slutty

adjective

Resembling or characteristic of a "slut"; seen as sexually provocative or promiscuous.

sly

adjective

Cleverly deceptive or secretive, often in a mischievous way.

SM

symbol

Abbreviation for "service mark," a legal symbol used to show a mark protects a service rather than a physical product.

smack

noun

A sharp, stinging slap or blow.

smackdown

noun

A decisive, often humiliating defeat or confrontation.

smacking

noun

The act of hitting someone with an open hand, especially as physical punishment.

small

adjective

Limited in size, amount, or importance; not large.

smallpox

noun

A severe, often fatal infectious disease caused by the variola virus, eradicated worldwide in the 1970s.

Smallville

noun

A generic or fictional name for a small, quiet town, often used to suggest a humble or rural origin.

smarmy

adjective

Excessively flattering or ingratiating in an insincere, oily way.

smart

adjective

Intelligent; quick to learn or understand.

smartass

noun

Someone who acts in an obnoxiously clever or know-it-all way.

smarten

verb

To make someone or something look neater or more presentable.

smartly

adverb

In a neat, fashionable manner.

smartness

noun

The quality of being intelligent.

smartphone

noun

A mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities, such as internet access and installable apps.

smarts

noun

Intelligence or practical know-how.

smarty

noun

An informal, often mocking term for someone who acts overly clever.

smash

noun

The loud sound of a violent collision or impact.

smashed

adjective

Broken violently into pieces or fragments.

smasher

noun

Something or someone that smashes things.

smashing

adjective

(informal, British) Excellent or wonderful.

smear

verb

To spread a soft or sticky substance across a surface, often messily.

smearing

noun

A mark or stain left by spreading something across a surface.

smee

noun

A wigeon or similar duck (also used loosely for the pintail, pochard, or smew).

smell

noun

A sensation caused by breathing in odor particles, pleasant or unpleasant.

smelling

noun

The act of detecting something by odor.

smelly

adjective

Having a strong, unpleasant odor.

smelt

noun

A small silvery fish found in cold ocean waters and lakes.

smelting

noun

The process of heating ore to extract pure metal from it.

smidge

noun

(informal) A tiny amount; a smidgen.

smile

noun

A facial expression made by curving the mouth upward, usually showing happiness or friendliness.

Smiles

name

An English surname, notably borne by Victorian author Samuel Smiles, known for his self-help writing.

smiley

adjective

Cheerful and often smiling.