slew

[ sloo ]

/ slu /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR slew ON THESAURUS.COM

verb

simple past tense of slay.

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What does “blatherskite” mean?

a person given to voluble, empty talk.

an ancient Greek or Roman farce that depended for effect largely upon ludicrous actions and gestures.

a check whose amount has been raised by forgery before cashing.

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Words nearby slew

Slesvig, Sleswick, sleuth, sleuthhound, S level, slew, slewed, slew rate, sley, Slezsko, SLIC

Definition for slew (2 of 2)

slew²

or slue

[ sloo ]

/ slu /

noun Informal.

a large number or quantity: a whole slew of people.

Origin of slew

1830–40, Americanism;<Irish sluagh crowd, throng, army, host

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for slew

He says device makers also will have to meet a slew of security requirements: Can the device be encrypted?
How Your Pacemaker Will Get Hacked|Kaiser Health News|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Between her slew of appointments, Lennox manages to squeeze in enough time for no less than 40 different charities.
Annie Lennox Doesn’t Give a Damn What You Think|Itay Hod|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Apparently, Minaj received a slew of offensive tweets and rude Instagram comments in response to the racy image.
Beyoncé’s ‘Flawless’ Lyrics Tease Her Elevator Drama with Jay Z|Amy Zimmerman|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Afterwards, a slew of major NBA reporters did their best to quell the giddy, growing mob.
LeBron James Returns to Cleveland: How 'The Decision 2.0' Happened|Robert Silverman|July 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The park administration has embarked on a slew of tourist-luring projects.
Can Gorillas Save the Democratic Republic of the Congo?|Nina Strochlic|April 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The fireman was already on the tender, ready to slew over the pipe that would bring a cataract of water down into the reservoir.
Bert Wilson's Twin Cylinder Racer|J. W. Duffield
Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.
The King James Bible, Complete|Various
But he was intrenched, and slew hundreds of the enemy before he retreated, which was effected without loss.
A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital|John Beauchamp Jones
He slew a lion in fair combat, with nought but his cloak and a short sword.
The Cloister and the Hearth|Charles Reade
After that they slew Kol, and Thrain cut off his head, and they threw the trunk over-board, but kept his head.
The story of Burnt Njal|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for slew (1 of 4)

slew¹

/ (sluː) /

verb

the past tense of slay

British Dictionary definitions for slew (2 of 4)

slew²

esp US slue

/ (sluː) /

verb

to twist or be twisted sideways, esp awkwardlyhe slewed around in his chair

nautical to cause (a mast) to rotate in its step or (of a mast) to rotate in its step

noun

the act of slewing

Word Origin for slew

C18: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for slew (3 of 4)

slew³

/ (sluː) /

noun

a variant spelling (esp US) of slough 1 (def. 2)

British Dictionary definitions for slew (4 of 4)

slew⁴

slue

/ (sluː) /

noun

informal, mainly US and Canadian a great number or amount; a lot

Word Origin for slew

C20: from Irish Gaelic sluagh; related to Old Irish slōg army

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

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WORD OF THE DAY

slew

verb

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Words nearby slew