slasher

American  

[slash-er] / ˈslæʃ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that slashes.

2. a person who criminally attacks others with a knife, razor, or the like.

3. a horror film depicting such a criminal and featuring gory special effects.

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slasher British  

/ ˈslæʃə /

noun

1. a person or thing that slashes

2. a wooden-handled cutting tool or tractor-drawn machine used for cutting scrub or undergrowth in the bush

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Etymology

Origin of slasher

First recorded in 1550–60; slash ¹ + -er ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

slasher

Kris is a queer filmmaker taking on the task of reclaiming the slasher horror film-within-the-film, “Camp Miasma,” rebooting it for the queer community to no longer be appalled by.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026

Instead, consider Jane Schoenbrun’s Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, which riffs on slasher films like Sleepaway Camp and Friday the 13th.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

And in came Lendeborg, a 6-foot-9 slasher from the University of Alabama at Birmingham who leveled up into a first-team All-American.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026

"Scream 7," the latest installment in the 30-year-old slasher series featuring yet another Ghostface killer, held strong in second place at $17.3 million in the United States and Canada, according to Exhibitor Relations.

From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026

I've sat through Saturday-night slasher movies with audiences of teenagers and even then nobody has said a word.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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