Slily adverb See Slyly . South.

Slim (slĭm) adjective [ Compar. Slimmer ; superl. Slimmest .] [ Formerly, bad, worthless, weak, slight, awry, from Dutch slim ; akin to German schlimm , Middle High German slimp oblique, awry; of uncertain origin. The meaning of the English word seems to have been influenced by slender .]
1. Worthless; bad. [ Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

2. Weak; slight; unsubstantial; poor; as, a slim argument. "That was a slim excuse." Barrow.

3. Of small diameter or thickness in proportion to the height or length; slender; as, a slim person; a slim tree. Grose.

Slime noun [ Middle English slim , Anglo-Saxon slīm ; akin to Dutch slijm , German schleim , Middle High German slīmen to make smooth, Icelandic slīm slime, Danish sliim ; confer Latin limare to file, polish, levis smooth, Greek .........; or confer Latin limus mud.]
1. Soft, moist earth or clay, having an adhesive quality; viscous mud.

As it [ Nilus] ebbs, the seedsman
Upon the slime and ooze scatters his grain.

Shak.

2. Any mucilaginous substance; any substance of a dirty nature, that is moist, soft, and adhesive.

3. (Script.) Bitumen. [ Archaic]

Slime had they for mortar.

Gen. xi. 3.

4. plural (Mining) Mud containing metallic ore, obtained in the preparatory dressing. Pryce.

5. (Physiol.) A mucuslike substance which exudes from the bodies of certain animals. Goldsmith.

Slime eel . (Zoology) See 1st Hag , 4. -- Slime pit , a pit for the collection of slime or bitumen.

Slime transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Slimed ; present participle & verbal noun Sliming .] To smear with slime. Tennyson.

Slimily adverb In a slimy manner.

Sliminess noun The quality or state of being slimy.

Slimly adverb In a state of slimness; in a slim manner; slenderly.

Slimness noun The quality or state of being slim.

Slimsy adjective Flimsy; frail. [ Colloq. U.S.]

Slimy adjective [ Compar. Slimier ; superl. Slimiest .] Of or pertaining to slime; resembling slime; of the nature of slime; viscous; glutinous; also, covered or daubed with slime; yielding, or abounding in, slime.

Slimy things did crawl with legs
Upon the slimy sea.

Coleridge.

Sliness noun See Slyness .

Sling noun [ Middle English slinge ; akin to OD. slinge , Dutch slinger , Old High German slinga ; confer Old French eslingue , of German origin. See Sling , transitive verb ]
1. An instrument for throwing stones or other missiles, consisting of a short strap with two strings fastened to its ends, or with a string fastened to one end and a light stick to the other. The missile being lodged in a hole in the strap, the ends of the string are taken in the hand, and the whole whirled rapidly round until, by loosing one end, the missile is let fly with centrifugal force.

2. The act or motion of hurling as with a sling; a throw; figuratively, a stroke.

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

Shak.

At one sling
Of thy victorius arm, well-pleasing Son.

Milton.

3. A contrivance for sustaining anything by suspension ; as: (a) A kind of hanging bandage put around the neck, in which a wounded arm or hand is supported. (b) A loop of rope, or a rope or chain with hooks, for suspending a barrel, bale, or other heavy object, in hoisting or lowering. (c) A strap attached to a firearm, for suspending it from the shoulder. (d) (Nautical) A band of rope or iron for securing a yard to a mast; -- chiefly in the plural.

Sling cart , a kind of cart used to transport cannon and their carriages, large stones, machines, etc., the objects transported being slung, or suspended by a chain attached to the axletree. -- Sling dog , one of a pair of iron hooks used as part of a sling. See def. 3 (b) above.

Sling transitive verb [ imperfect Slung , Archaic Slang ; past participle Slung ; present participle & verbal noun Slinging .] [ Anglo-Saxon slingan ; akin to Dutch slingeren , German schlingen , to wind, to twist, to creep, Old High German slingan to wind, to twist, to move to and fro, Icelandic slyngva , slöngva , to sling, Swedish slunga , Danish slynge , Lithuanian slinkti to creep.]
1. To throw with a sling. "Every one could sling stones at an hairbreadth, and not miss." Judg. xx. 16.

2. To throw; to hurl; to cast. Addison.

3. To hang so as to swing; as, to sling a pack.

4. (Naut) To pass a rope round, as a cask, gun, etc., preparatory to attaching a hoisting or lowering tackle.

Sling noun [ Confer German schlingen to swallow.] A drink composed of spirit (usually gin) and water sweetened.

Slinger noun One who slings, or uses a sling.

Slink transitive verb [ imperfect Slunk , Archaic Slank ; past participle Slunk ; present participle & verbal noun Slinking .] [ Anglo-Saxon slincan ; probably akin to German schleichen , English sleek . See Sleek , adjective ]
1. To creep away meanly; to steal away; to sneak. "To slink away and hide." Tale of Beryn.

Back to the thicket slunk
The guilty serpent.

Milton.

There were some few who slank obliquely from them as they passed.

Landor.

2. To miscarry; -- said of female beasts.

Slink transitive verb To cast prematurely; - - said of female beasts; as, a cow that slinks her calf.

Slink adjective
1. Produced prematurely; as, a slink calf.

2. Thin; lean. [ Scot.]

Slink noun
1. The young of a beast brought forth prematurely, esp. a calf brought forth before its time.

2. A thievish fellow; a sneak. [ Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Slinky adjective Thin; lank. [ Prov. Eng. & U. S.]

Slip intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Slipped ; present participle & verbal noun Slipping .] [ Middle English slippen ; akin to LG. & Dutch slippen , Middle High German slipfen (cf. Danish slippe , Swedish slippa , Icelandic sleppa ), and from Middle English slipen , Anglo-Saxon slīpan (in comp.), akin to German schleifen to slide, glide, drag, whet, Old High German slīfan to slide, glide, make smooth, Icelandic slīpa to whet; confer also Anglo-Saxon sl...pan , Goth. sliupan , Old Saxon slopian , Old High German sliofan , German schliefen , schl...pfen , which seem to come from a somewhat different root form. Confer Slope , noun ]
1. To move along the surface of a thing without bounding, rolling, or stepping; to slide; to glide.

2. To slide; to lose one's footing or one's hold; not to tread firmly; as, it is necessary to walk carefully lest the foot should slip .

3. To move or fly (out of place); to shoot; -- often with out , off , etc.; as, a bone may slip out of its place.

4. To depart, withdraw, enter, appear, intrude, or escape as if by sliding; to go or come in a quiet, furtive manner; as, some errors slipped into the work.

Thus one tradesman slips away,
To give his partner fairer play.

Prior.

Thrice the flitting shadow slipped away.

Dryden.

5. To err; to fall into error or fault.

There is one that slippeth in his speech, but not from his heart.

Ecclus. xix. 16.

To let slip , to loose from the slip or noose, as a hound; to allow to escape.

Cry, "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of war.

Shak.

Slip transitive verb
1. To cause to move smoothly and quickly; to slide; to convey gently or secretly.

He tried to slip a powder into her drink.

Arbuthnot.

2. To omit; to loose by negligence.

And slip no advantage
That my secure you.

B. Jonson.

3. To cut slips from; to cut; to take off; to make a slip or slips of; as, to slip a piece of cloth or paper.

The branches also may be slipped and planted.

Mortimer.

4. To let loose in pursuit of game, as a greyhound.

Lucento slipped me like his greyhound.

Shak.

5. To cause to slip or slide off, or out of place; as, a horse slips his bridle; a dog slips his collar.

6. To bring forth (young) prematurely; to slink.

To slip a cable . (Nautical) See under Cable . -- To slip off , to take off quickly; as, to slip off a coat. -- To slip on , to put on in haste or loosely; as, to slip on a gown or coat.

Slip noun [ Anglo-Saxon slipe , slip .]
1. The act of slipping; as, a slip on the ice.

2. An unintentional error or fault; a false step.

This good man's slip mended his pace to martyrdom.

Fuller.

3. A twig separated from the main stock; a cutting; a scion; hence, a descendant; as, a slip from a vine.

A native slip to us from foreign seeds.

Shak.

The girlish slip of a Sicilian bride.

R. Browning.

4. A slender piece; a strip; as, a slip of paper.

Moonlit slips of silver cloud.

Tennyson.

A thin slip of a girl, like a new moon
Sure to be rounded into beauty soon.

Longfellow.

5. A leash or string by which a dog is held; - - so called from its being made in such a manner as to slip, or become loose, by relaxation of the hand.

We stalked over the extensive plains with Killbuck and Lena in the slips , in search of deer.

Sir S. Baker.

6. An escape; a secret or unexpected desertion; as, to give one the slip . Shak.

7. (Print.) A portion of the columns of a newspaper or other work struck off by itself; a proof from a column of type when set up and in the galley.

8. Any covering easily slipped on. Specifically: (a) A loose garment worn by a woman. (b) A child's pinafore. (c) An outside covering or case; as, a pillow slip . (d) The slip or sheath of a sword, and the like. [ R.]

9. A counterfeit piece of money, being brass covered with silver. [ Obsolete] Shak.

10. Matter found in troughs of grindstones after the grinding of edge tools. [ Prov. Eng.] Sir W. Petty.

11. Potter's clay in a very liquid state, used for the decoration of ceramic ware, and also as a cement for handles and other applied parts.

12. A particular quantity of yarn. [ Prov. Eng.]

13. An inclined plane on which a vessel is built, or upon which it is hauled for repair.

14. An opening or space for vessels to lie in, between wharves or in a dock; as, Peck slip . [ U. S.]

15. A narrow passage between buildings. [ Eng.]

16. A long seat or narrow pew in churches, often without a door. [ U. S.]

17. (Mining.) A dislocation of a lead, destroying continuity. Knight.

18. (Engineering) The motion of the center of resistance of the float of a paddle wheel, or the blade of an oar, through the water horozontally, or the difference between a vessel's actual speed and the speed which she would have if the propelling instrument acted upon a solid; also, the velocity, relatively to still water, of the backward current of water produced by the propeller.

19. (Zoology) A fish, the sole.

20. (Cricket) A fielder stationed on the off side and to the rear of the batsman. There are usually two of them, called respectively short slip , and long slip .

To give one the slip , to slip away from one; to elude one. -- Slip dock . See under Dock . -- Slip link (Machinery) , a connecting link so arranged as to allow some play of the parts, to avoid concussion. -- Slip rope (Nautical) , a rope by which a cable is secured preparatory to slipping. Totten. -- Slip stopper (Nautical) , an arrangement for letting go the anchor suddenly.

Slip noun
1. (Machinery) (a) The retrograde movement on a pulley of a belt as it slips. (b) In a link motion, the undesirable sliding movement of the link relatively to the link block, due to swinging of the link.

2. (Electricity) The difference between the actual and synchronous speed of an induction motor.

3. (Marine Insurance) A memorandum of the particulars of a risk for which a policy is to be executed. It usually bears the broker's name and is initiated by the underwrites.

Slip-on noun A kind of overcoat worn upon the shoulders in the manner of a cloak. [ Scot.]

Slipboard noun A board sliding in grooves.

Slipcoat cheese A rich variety of new cheese, resembling butter, but white. Halliwell.

Slipes noun plural [ Confer Slip , v. ] Sledge runners on which a skip is dragged in a mine.

Slipknot noun knot which slips along the rope or line around which it is made.

Slippage noun The act of slipping; also, the amount of slipping.

Slipper noun
1. One who, or that which, slips.

2. A kind of light shoe, which may be slipped on with ease, and worn in undress; a slipshoe.

3. A kind of apron or pinafore for children.

4. A kind of brake or shoe for a wagon wheel.

5. (Machinery) A piece, usually a plate, applied to a sliding piece, to receive wear and afford a means of adjustment; -- also called shoe , and gib .

Slipper animalcule (Zoology) , a ciliated infusorian of the genus Paramecium . -- Slipper flower . (Botany) Slipperwort. - - Slipper limpet , or Slipper shell (Zoology) , a boat shell.

Slipper adjective [ Anglo-Saxon slipur .] Slippery. [ Obsolete]

O! trustless state of earthly things, and slipper hope
Of mortal men.

Spenser.

Slippered adjective Wearing slippers. Shak.

Slipperily adverb In a slippery manner.

Slipperiness noun The quality of being slippery.

Slipperness noun Slipperiness. [ Obsolete]

Slipperwort noun (Botany) See Calceolaria .

Slippery adjective [ See Slipper , adjective ]
1. Having the quality opposite to adhesiveness; allowing or causing anything to slip or move smoothly, rapidly, and easily upon the surface; smooth; glib; as, oily substances render things slippery .

2. Not affording firm ground for confidence; as, a slippery promise.

The slippery tops of human state.

Cowley.

3. Not easily held; liable or apt to slip away.

The slippery god will try to loose his hold.

Dryden.

4. Liable to slip; not standing firm. Shak.

5. Unstable; changeable; mutable; uncertain; inconstant; fickle. "The slippery state of kings." Denham.

6. Uncertain in effect. L'Estrange.

7. Wanton; unchaste; loose in morals. Shak.

Slippery elm . (Botany) (a) An American tree ( Ulmus fulva ) with a mucilagenous and slightly aromatic inner bark which is sometimes used medicinally; also, the inner bark itself . (b) A malvaceous shrub ( Fremontia Californica ); -- so called on the Pacific coast.

Slippiness noun Slipperiness. [ R.] "The slippiness of the way." Sir W. Scott.

Slippy adjective [ Anglo-Saxon slipeg .] Slippery.

Slipshod adjective
1. Wearing shoes or slippers down at the heel.

The shivering urchin bending as he goes,
With slipshod heels.

Cowper.

2. Figuratively: Careless in dress, manners, style, etc.; slovenly; shuffling; as, slipshod manners; a slipshod or loose style of writing.

Thy wit shall ne'er go slipshod .

Shak.

Slipshoe noun A slipper. Halliwell.

Slipskin adjective Evasive. [ Obsolete] Milton.

Slipslop noun [ A reduplication of slop .] Weak, poor, or flat liquor; weak, profitless discourse or writing.

Slipstring noun One who has shaken off restraint; a prodigal. [ Obsolete] Cotgrave.

Slipthrift noun A spendthrift. [ Obsolete]

Slish noun [ A corruption of slash .] A cut; as, slish and slash. [ Colloq.] Shak.

Slit obsolete 3d. pers. sing. present of Slide . Chaucer.

Slit transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Slit or Slitted ; present participle & verbal noun Slitting .] [ Middle English slitten , from sliten , Anglo-Saxon stītan to tear; akin to Dutch slijten to wear out, German schleissen to slit, split, Old High German slīzan to split, tear, wear out, Icelandic stīta to break, tear, wear out, Swedish slita , Danish slide . Confer Eclat , Slate , noun , Slice .]
1. To cut lengthwise; to cut into long pieces or strips; as, to slit iron bars into nail rods; to slit leather into straps.

2. To cut or make a long fissure in or upon; as, to slit the ear or the nose.

3. To cut; to sever; to divide. [ Obsolete]

And slits the thin-spun life.

Milton.

Slit noun [ Anglo-Saxon slite .] A long cut; a narrow opening; as, a slit in the ear.

Gill slit . (Anat.) See Gill opening , under Gill .