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Synonyms

slide

American  
[slahyd] / slaɪd /

verb (used without object)

slid, slid, slidden, sliding
  1. to move along in continuous contact with a smooth or slippery surface.

    to slide down a snow-covered hill.

    Synonyms:
    slither
  2. to slip or skid.

  3. to glide or pass smoothly.

  4. to slip easily, quietly, or unobtrusively on or as if on a track, channel, or guide rail (usually followed by in, out, away, etc.).

  5. to pass or fall gradually into a specified state, character, practice, etc.

  6. to decline or decrease.

    Interest rates are beginning to slide.

  7. Baseball. (of a base runner) to cast oneself, usually feet first, forward along the ground in the direction of the base being approached, to present less of a target for a baseman attempting to make a tag.


verb (used with object)

slid, slid, slidden, sliding
  1. to cause to slide, slip, or coast, as over a surface or with a smooth, gliding motion.

  2. to hand, pass along, or slip (something) easily or quietly (usually followed by in, into, etc.).

    to slide a note into someone's hand.

noun

  1. an act or instance of sliding.

  2. a smooth surface for sliding on, especially a type of chute in a playground.

  3. an object intended to slide.

  4. Geology.

    1. a landslide or the like.

    2. the mass of matter sliding down.

  5. a single transparency, object, or image for projection in a projector, as a lantern slide.

  6. Photography. a small positive color transparency mounted for projection on a screen or magnification through a viewer.

  7. a usually rectangular plate of glass on which objects are placed for microscopic examination.

  8. Furniture. a shelf sliding into the body of a piece when not in use.

  9. Music.

    1. an embellishment consisting of an upward or downward series of three or more tones, the last of which is the principal tone.

    2. a portamento.

    3. a U -shaped section of the tube of an instrument of the trumpet class, as the trombone, that can be pushed in or out to alter the length of the air column and change the pitch.

  10. a vehicle mounted on runners, for conveying loads, as of grain or wood, especially over a level surface.

  11. (of a machine or mechanism)

    1. a moving part working on a track, channel, or guide rails.

    2. the surface, track, channel, or guide rails on which the part moves.

  12. any of various chutes used in logging, mining, or materials handling.

  13. a flat or very low-heeled, backless shoe or slipper that can be slipped on and off the foot easily.

idioms

  1. let slide, to allow to deteriorate, pursue a natural course, etc., without intervention on one's part.

    to let things slide.

slide British  
/ slaɪd /

verb

  1. to move or cause to move smoothly along a surface in continual contact with it

    doors that slide open

    children sliding on the ice

  2. (intr) to lose grip or balance

    he slid on his back

  3. (intr; usually foll by into, out of, away from, etc) to pass or move gradually and unobtrusively

    she slid into the room

  4. to go (into a specified condition) by degrees, unnoticeably, etc

    he slid into loose living

  5. to move (an object) unobtrusively or (of an object) to move in this way

    he slid the gun into his pocket

  6. (intr) music to execute a portamento

  7. to allow to follow a natural course, esp one leading to deterioration

    to let things slide

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act or an instance of sliding

  2. a smooth surface, as of ice or mud, for sliding on

  3. a construction incorporating an inclined smooth slope for sliding down in playgrounds, etc

  4. rowing a sliding seat in a boat or its runners

  5. a thin glass plate on which specimens are mounted for microscopic study

  6. Also called: transparency.  a positive photograph on a transparent base, mounted in a cardboard or plastic frame or between glass plates, that can be viewed by means of a slide projector

  7. Also called: hair slide.  US and Canadian name: barrette.  an ornamental clip to hold hair in place

  8. machinery

    1. a sliding part or member

    2. the track, guide, or channel on or in which such a part slides

  9. music

    1. the sliding curved tube of a trombone that is moved in or out to allow the production of different harmonic series and a wider range of notes

    2. a portamento

  10. music

    1. a metal or glass tube placed over a finger held against the frets of a guitar to produce a portamento

    2. the style of guitar playing using a slide See also bottleneck

  11. geology

    1. the rapid downward movement of a large mass of earth, rocks, etc, caused by erosion, faulting, etc

    2. the mass of material involved in this descent See also landslide

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
slide Scientific  
/ slīd /
  1. A mass movement of earth, rocks, snow, or ice down a slope. Slides can be caused by an accumulation of new matter or of moisture in the overlying material, or by erosion within or below the material. They are often triggered by an earthquake or other disturbance such as an explosion.

  2. The mass of material resulting from such a process.


slide More Idioms  
  1. see let ride (slide); let slip (slide).


Related Words

Slide, glide, slip suggest movement over a smooth surface. Slide suggests a movement of one surface over another in contact with it: to slide downhill. Glide suggests a continuous, smooth, easy, and (usually) noiseless motion: a skater gliding over the ice. To slip is to slide in a sudden or accidental way: to slip on the ice and fall.

Other Word Forms

  • outslide verb (used with object)
  • slidable adjective
  • slidableness noun
  • slider noun

Etymology

Origin of slide

First recorded before 950; Middle English sliden (verb), Old English slīdan; cognate with Middle Low German slīden, Middle High German slīten; akin to sled

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The vaccine’s sales could slide in the U.S. this year now that the CDC no longer recommends three doses of the HPV shot in teens.

From MarketWatch

Crude futures slid as U.S.-Iran tensions eased, but markets still face headline risks, Sparta Commodities said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Investors are questioning the long-term solvency of crypto-treasury companies, fearing that a continued slide in prices could eventually force some of them to sell their massive holdings.

From The Wall Street Journal

At an event with Dombrovskis in London on Monday, Reeves argued stronger ties are increasingly important as "we are sliding towards a world where the rules are less clear".

From BBC

The final bell rings, and I open my eyes in time to catch Michelle and Leo sliding into their seats.

From Literature