Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
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- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Slăb'ber-y, a. p. 1240Like or covered with slabber or slab; slippery; sloppy.Slāb'bi-ness, n. p. 1240The state of being thick or slabby.Slāb'by, a. p. 1240Thick; viscous; — sometimes in contempt. [Rare.] Wiseman. They present you with a cup, and you must drink of a slabby stuff. Selden. 2. Wet; sloppy; slimy; miry. See SLOPPY.Slāb'-line, n. p. 1240(Naut.) A line or small rope by which seamen haul up the foot of the main-sail or fore-sail. Totten.Slāb'-sid'ed, a. p. 1240Having flat sides; hence, tall, or long and lank.Slăck, a. p. 1240Not tense; not hard drawn; not firmly extended; as, a slack rope; slack rigging. 2. Weak; remiss; not holding fast; as, a slack hand. 3. Remiss; backward; not using due diligence; not earnest or…Slāck, adv. p. 1240In a slack manner; partially; insufficiently; not intensely; as, slack-dried hops; bread slack baked.Slăck, n. p. 1240The part of a rope that hangs loose, having no strain upon it. Totten.Slāck, n. p. 1240Small coal; coal broken into small pieces. [Eng.]Slăck, n. p. 1240A valley, or small, shallow dell. [Prov. Eng.] [Grose.]Slăck or Slăck'en, v. i. p. 1240To become slack; to be made less tense, firm, or rigid; to decrease in tension; as, a wet cord slackens in dry weather. 2. To be remiss or backward; to neglect. 3. To lose cohesion, or the quality of…Slāck or Slāck’en, v. t. p. 1240To render slack; to lessen the tension of; to make less tense or tight; as, to slacken a rope or a bandage. 2. Especially, to render less earnest, violent, energetic, rapid, or decided;—applied to…Slāck'en, n. p. 1240A spongy, semi-vitrified substance which miners or smelters mix with the ores of metals to prevent their fusion. [Written also slakin.]Slăck'ly, adv. p. 1240In a slack manner; loosely; remissly.Slăck'ness, n. p. 1240The state of being slack; a condition opposite to tension; want of tightness or rigidity; as, the slackness of a cord or rope; remissness; negligence; inattention; as, the slackness of men in…Slāde, n. p. 1240A little dell or valley; also, a flat piece of low, moist ground. [Obs.] Drayton.Slāg, n. p. 1240The dross or recrement of a metal; also, vitrified cinders. 2. The scoria of a volcano. Dana.Slāg'gy, a. p. 1240Pertaining to, or resembling, slag.Slāie, n. p. 1240A weaver's reed; a sley.Slāke, v. t. p. 1240To quench; to extinguish; as, to slake thirst. “And slake the heavenly fire.” Spenser. It would not slake mine ire nor ease my heart. Shak. 2. To mix with water, so that a true chemical combination…Slāke, v. i. p. 1240To go out; to become extinct. “His flame did slake.” Browne. 2. To abate; to become less decided. [Rare.] He overfloweth Mesopotamia when the sun is in the 20th degree of Cancer, and begins again to…Slāke'less, a. p. 1240Not capable of being slaked; unextinguishable.Slāk'lin, n. p. 1240See SLACKEN, n.Slăm, v. t. p. 1240To strike with force and noise; to shut with violence; as, to slam a door. 2. To beat; to cuff. [Prov. Eng.] Grose. 3. To strike down; to slaughter. [Prov. Eng.] 4. To win all the tricks in a hand at…Slăm, v. i. p. 1240To strike violently and noisily; as, a door slams. 2. (Mech.) To strike hard, as a moving part upon its seat; as, a puppet-valve slams.Slām, n. p. 1240A violent driving and dashing against; a violent shutting of a door. 2. The winning of all the tricks at whist, so defeating the other party. 3. The refuse of alum-works;—used in Yorkshire as a…Slăm'-băng', adv. p. 1240With great violence; with a slamming or banging noise. [Colloq.]Slām'kin or Slām'mer-kin, n. p. 1240A slut; a slatternly woman. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.Slān'der, n. p. 1240A false tale or report maliciously uttered, and tending to injure the reputation of another. Whether we speak evil of a man to his face or behind his back; the former way, indeed, seems to be the…Slăn'der, v. t. p. 1240To defame; to injure by maliciously uttering a false report; to tarnish or impair the reputation of by false tales maliciously told or propagated; to calumniate. O, do not slander him, for he is…Slān'der-er, n. p. 1240One who injures another by maliciously reporting something to his prejudice; a defamer; a calumniator.Slăn'der-oŭs, a. p. 1240Given or disposed to slander. “Slanderous tongues.” Shak. 2. Embodying or containing slander or defamation; calumnious; as, slanderous words, speeches, or reports, falsely and maliciously uttered.Slăn'der-oŭs-ly, adv. p. 1240In a slanderous manner; calumniously.Slăn'der-ous-ness, n. p. 1240The state or quality of being slanderous or defamatory.Slāng, imp. p. 1240of sling. Slung. [Obs.] See SLING.Slāng, n. p. 1240Low, vulgar, unauthorized language; a colloquial mode of expression;—especially, such as is in vogue with some class in society; as, the slang of the theater, of college, of boatmen, &c.Slāng'goās, a. p. 1240Of the nature of slang; using slang. [Rare.] John Bee.Slāng'-whăng'er, n. p. 1240A noisy demagogue; a turbulent partisan. [Colloq. or humorous.] W. Irving.Slānk, imp. & p. p. p. 1240from slink. Slunk. See SLINK.Slānk, n. p. 1240(Bot.) A plant; a species of Alga. Ainsworth.Slȧnt, a. p. 1240Inclined from a direct line, whether horizontal or perpendicular; sloping; oblique. “The slant lightning.” Milton.Slȧnt, v. t. p. 1240To turn from a direct line; to give an oblique or sloping direction to.Slȧnt, v. i. p. 1240To be turned or inclined from a right line; to lie obliquely; to slope. “On the side of yonder slanting hill.” Dodsley.Slȧnt, n. p. 1240A slanting direction or plane; a slope. “It lies on a slant.” Richardson. 2. An oblique reflection or gibe; a sarcastic remark. 3. A copper coin of Sweden, of which 196 pass for one rix-dollar. Slant…Slānt'ing-ly, adv. p. 1240In a slanting manner or direction; with a slope or inclination; also, with an oblique hint or remark.Slānt'ly or Slānt'wise, adv. p. 1240In an inclined direction; obliquely.Slăp, n. p. 1240A blow given with the open hand, or with something broad.Slāp, v. t. p. 1240To strike with the open hand, or with something broad.Slāp, adv. p. 1240With a sudden and violent blow; hence, quickly; instantly.Slāp'dāsh, adv. p. 1240In a bold, careless manner; at random. 2. With a slap; all at once; slap. [Colloq.]Slāp'dāsh, v. t. p. 1240To apply, or apply to, in a hasty, careless, or rough manner; to roughcast; as, to slapdash mortar or paint on a wall, or to slapdash a wall. [Colloq.] Halliwell.Slāpe, a. p. 1240Slippery; smooth; hence, crafty. Slape-ale, plain ale, as opposed to medicated or mixed ale.—Slape-face, as oft-spoken, crafty hypocrite. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.Slăp'jăck, n. p. 1240A sort of flat cake baked upon a griddle; a flapjack. [Local, U. S.]Slăp'per, n. p. 1240One who, or that which, slaps. 2. A person or thing of great size; a whopper. [Colloq. or Prov.] Grose.Slăp'per or Slăp'ping, a. p. 1240Very large; big; great; of great size. [Vulgar.]Slăsh, v. t. p. 1240To cut by striking violently and at random; to cut in long cuts. 2. To lash. [Illegitimate and rare.] King. 3. To crack or snap, as a whip. [Rare.]Slăsh, v. i. p. 1240To strike violently and at random with an edged instrument; to lay about one indiscriminately with blows. “Hewing and slashing at their idle shades.” Spenser.Slāsh, n. p. 1240A long cut; a cut made at random. 2. A large slit in the thighs and arms of old costumes, made to show a brilliant color through the openings.Slāshed, p. a. p. 1240Marked or cut with a slash, or slashes; deeply gashed; especially, having long, narrow openings, as a sleeve, &c., to show cloth of a brighter color beneath. “A gray jerkin, with scarlet cuffs and…Slăsh'es, n. pl. p. 1240A place in woods, which has been slashed or cut over. [U. S.]