slew
1 Americanverb
noun
verb
-
to twist or be twisted sideways, esp awkwardly
he 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
verb
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has slewedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have slewedperfect
-
are slewingprogressive
-
is slewingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
am slewingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been slewingperfect progressive
-
slewssingular 3rd person
-
has been slewingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
slewingparticiple
Past
-
had slewedperfect
-
slewedparticiple
-
were slewingprogressive plural
-
slewedsimple
-
had been slewingperfect progressive
-
was slewingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of slew
1830–40, < Irish sluagh crowd, throng, army, host
Explanation
Of all the many nouns referring to a large group of things, one of the most fun is slew, as in "I saw a whole slew of birds in the tree by the river." American English is constantly evolving, its richness coming from the many languages feeding into it. The noun slew, for instance, is from the Irish Gaelic sluagh, meaning "multitude." As an unrelated verb, it's the past tense of slay.
Vocabulary lists containing slew
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
St. Patrick's Day Vocabulary: Words With Irish and Gaelic Roots
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Affirmed’s victory gave racing back-to-back Triple Crown winners, with Seattle Slew having swept all three races in 1977.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 16, 2023
Among the horses Smith bred his mares to at the farm were Nijinsky, Storm Cat, Seattle Slew, Alydar and Mr. Prospector.
From Washington Post • Jun. 18, 2020
Smarty Jones, ridden by Stewart Elliott, improved his record to 7-0 when he won the Kentucky Derby on this date in 2004, making him the first undefeated Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2020
Seattle Slew and Affirmed, the 1977 and ’78 Triple Crown winners, were each listed at 5-1 odds.
From Washington Times • Apr. 29, 2020
"Slew your faces this way, gentlemen," he added; "there; don't you think that a sight to put out the binnacle lamps? there's darkness visible for ye!"
From The Pilot by Cooper, James Fenimore
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
