slather

American  

[slath-er] / ˈslæð ər /

verb (used with object)

1. to spread or apply thickly.

   to slather butter on toast.

2. to spread something thickly on (usually followed bywith ).

   to slather toast with butter.

3. to spend or use lavishly.

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noun

1. Often slathers. a generous amount.

   slathers of money.

idioms

1. open slather, complete freedom.

slather British  

/ ˈslæðə /

noun

1. informal (usually plural) a large quantity

2. slang a situation in which there are no restrictions; free-for-all

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verb

1. to squander or waste

2. to spread thickly or lavishly

Etymology

Origin of slather

1810–20, in sense “to slip, slide”; origin uncertain

Explanation

When you slather something, you apply or spread a lot of it. So you might slather your hamburger with ketchup, or slather shampoo on your damp head. Before it came to mean "spread liberally" in the nineteenth century, people in parts of England used slather to mean "slip or slide." Today we use this informal verb to describe smearing or rubbing, so we slather paint on a fence to cover up graffiti, slather aloe on our sunburnt skin, and slather peanut butter and jelly on bread.

Related Words

• apply
• brush
• caress
• clean
• coat
• cover
• glaze
• graze
• grind
• knead
• paint
• pat
• scrape
• scrub
• smear
• smooth
• spread
• wear
• wipe