slasher

American  

[slash-er] / ˈslæʃ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that slashes. slash.

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

Example Sentences

But like all slasher movies, the killer isn’t dead yet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 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

Freddie Prinze Jr. says to fellow millennial heartthrob Jennifer Love Hewitt in this fittingly silly resurrection of the B-movie slasher franchise “I Know What You Did Last Summer.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2025

Funneled into the framework of a prom slasher, the bungling of "Fear Street: Prom Queen" feels downright pernicious.

From Salon • May 24, 2025

She still insists on renting slasher films, demon movies.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee