slough
Slough (noun) means the old skin shed by a snake, or dead tissue that separates from a wound. Example: “We found a snake's slough in the garden shed.”
How to Use Slough
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishShed skin/dead tissue, the act of shedding something old, or a swampy patch of land.
Pronounced differently by sense — "sluff" for shedding skin, but "slow" or "sloo" for the marshy-land/town-name sense (as in Slough, England).
Word Forms
sloughed past tense, sloughs plural, sloughs plural, sloughs singular
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
We found a snake's _____ in the garden shed.
Etymology
From Middle English "slogh," related to Germanic words for a sheath or shed skin.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for slough
See all rhymes for slough →Frequently Asked Questions
What does “slough” mean?
The word “slough” means the old skin shed by a snake, or dead tissue that separates from a wound. In plain terms, shed skin/dead tissue, the act of shedding something old, or a swampy patch of land.
How do you pronounce “slough”?
“Slough” is pronounced sluhf (/slʌf/ in IPA).
How do you use “slough” in a sentence?
Here is “slough” used in a sentence: “We found a snake's slough in the garden shed.”
What part of speech is “slough”?
Depending on how it is used, “slough” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “slough” come from?
The word “slough” comes from Middle English. From Middle English "slogh," related to Germanic words for a sheath or shed skin.
How many meanings does “slough” have?
“Slough” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the old skin shed by a snake, or dead tissue that separates from a wound.