definitions

slew

1
[ sloo ]
/ slu /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR slew ON THESAURUS.COM

verb

simple past tense of slay.

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RELATED WORDS

profusion, abundance, ream, multiplicity, batch, bundle, scad, plenty, aggregation, bunch, load, gathering, stockpile, pot, cluster, fullness, jumble, concentration, total, mint

Nearby words

slesvig, sleswick, sleuth, sleuthhound, sleuthing, slew, slew rate, slewed, sley, slezsko, slic

Definition for slew (2 of 7)

slew

2

or slue

[ sloo ]
/ slu /

noun Informal.

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

Origin of slew

2
1830–40, Americanism; < Irish sluagh crowd, throng, army, host

Definition for slew (3 of 7)

slew

3
[ sloo ]
/ slu /

verb (used with or without object), noun

slue1.

Definition for slew (4 of 7)

slew

4
[ sloo ]
/ slu /

noun U.S., Canadian.

slough1(def 3).

Definition for slew (5 of 7)

slay

[ sley ]
/ sleɪ /

verb (used with object), slew or slayed (especially for def 4); slain; slay·ing.

verb (used without object), slew or slayed (especially for def 7); slain; slay·ing.

to kill or murder.
Slang. to strongly impress or overwhelm someone: His whole album slays.

noun

sley.

Origin of slay

before 900; Middle English sleen, slayn, Old English slēan; cognate with Dutch slaan, German schlagen, Old Norse slā, Gothic slahan “to strike, beat”

Related forms

slay·a·ble, adjectiveslay·er, nounun·slay·a·ble, adjective

Definition for slew (6 of 7)

slue

1

or slew

[ sloo ]
/ slu /

verb (used with object), slued, slu·ing.

to turn (a mast or other spar) around on its own axis, or without removing it from its place.
to swing around.

verb (used without object), slued, slu·ing.

to turn about; swing around.

noun

the act of sluing.
a position slued to.

Origin of slue

1
First recorded in 1760–70; origin uncertain

Definition for slew (7 of 7)

sley

or slay, sleigh

[ sley ]
/ sleɪ /

noun, plural sleys.

the reed of a loom.
the warp count in woven fabrics.
British. the lay of a loom.

verb (used with object)

to draw (warp ends) through the heddle eyes of the harness or through the dents of the reed in accordance with a given plan for weaving a fabric.

Origin of sley

before 1050; Middle English sleye, Old English slege weaver's reed; akin to Dutch slag, German Schlag, Old Norse slag, Gothic slahs a blow; see slay
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for slew

British Dictionary definitions for slew (1 of 8)

slew

1
/ (sluː) /

verb

the past tense of slay

British Dictionary definitions for slew (2 of 8)

slew

2

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 8)

slew

3
/ (sluː) /

noun

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

British Dictionary definitions for slew (4 of 8)

slew

4

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

British Dictionary definitions for slew (5 of 8)

slue

1
/ (sluː) /

noun, verb

a variant spelling (esp US) of slew 2

British Dictionary definitions for slew (6 of 8)

slue

2
/ (sluː) /

noun

a variant spelling of slough 1 (def. 2)

British Dictionary definitions for slew (7 of 8)

slue

3
/ (sluː) /

noun

US informal a variant spelling of slew 4

British Dictionary definitions for slew (8 of 8)

slay

/ (sleɪ) /

verb slays, slaying, slew or slain (tr)

archaic, or literary to kill, esp violently
slang to impress (someone) sexually
obsolete to strike

Derived Forms

slayer, noun

Word Origin for slay

Old English slēan; related to Old Norse slā, Gothic, Old High German slahan to strike, Old Irish slacaim I beat
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