slice
Americannoun
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slices
plural
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a thin, flat piece cut from something.
a slice of bread.
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a part, portion, or share.
a slice of land.
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any of various implements with a thin, broad blade or part, as for turning food in a frying pan, serving fish at the table, or taking up printing ink; spatula.
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Sports.
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the path described by a ball, as in baseball or golf, that curves in a direction corresponding to the side from which it was struck.
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a ball describing such a path.
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Tennis. a stroke executed by hitting down on the ball with an underhand motion and thus creating backspin.
verb (used with object)
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slices,
present (3rd person singular)
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sliced,
past participle, past
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slicing
present participle
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to cut into slices; divide into parts.
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to cut through or cleave with or as if with a knife.
The ship sliced the sea.
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to cut off or remove as a slice or slices (sometimes followed by off, away, from, etc.).
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to remove by means of a slice, slice bar, or similar implement.
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Sports. to hit (a ball) so as to result in a slice.
verb (used without object)
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slices,
present (3rd person singular)
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sliced,
past participle, past
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slicing
present participle
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to slice something.
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to admit of being sliced.
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Sports.
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(of a player) to slice the ball.
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(of a ball) to describe a slice in flight.
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noun
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a thin flat piece cut from something having bulk
a slice of pork
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a share or portion
a slice of the company's revenue
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any of various utensils having a broad flat blade and resembling a spatula
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the flight of a ball that travels obliquely because it has been struck off centre
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the action of hitting such a shot
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the shot so hit
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verb
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to divide or cut (something) into parts or slices
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to cut in a clean and effortless manner
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to move or go (through something) like a knife
the ship sliced through the water
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to cut or be cut (from) a larger piece
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(tr) to remove by use of a slicing implement
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to hit (a ball) with a slice
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(tr) rowing to put the blade of the oar into (the water) slantwise
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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slicernoun
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presliceverb (used with object)
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sliceableadjective
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unslicedadjective
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slicinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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slicesimple
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slicessimple
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have slicedperfect
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has slicedperfect
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am slicingprogressive
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are slicingprogressive
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is slicingprogressive
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have been slicingperfect progressive
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has been slicingperfect progressive
Past
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slicedsimple
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had slicedperfect
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was slicingprogressive
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were slicingprogressive
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had been slicingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of slice
1300–50; (noun) Middle English s ( c ) lice < Old French esclice, noun derivative of esclicer to split up < Frankish *slitjan, akin to Old English slītan, Old Norse slīta, Dutch slījten ( see slit); (v.) late Middle English sklicen < Old French esclicer
Explanation
A slice is a narrow piece or portion of something (particularly food), like a slice of bread or a slice of pizza. You can order a slice of cake or pie at your favorite bakery, or fry potatoes after cutting them into thin slices. Slice can also be used figuratively: "His brothers each own a slice of the business." The expression "slice of life" usually describes a realistic version of life that's depicted in a book, movie, or play. And in golfing, a slice is a stroke that makes the ball curve sharply to one side.
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.
See Examples For:
ABS challenges produce an infinitesimal W or L, a momentary shot of euphoria or thin slice of humble pie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Some analysts have begun to worry that the gains in the market are being driven by an increasingly narrow slice of stocks.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
An outrageous score, with an outrageous slice of luck presuming Carreras was gambling to get anything on the ball, rather than plotting that particular flightpath.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
When I was the head baker at my local homeless shelter, I baked it hundreds of times and saw how one slice, served on a paper plate, could become a catalyst for dialogue.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
Autumn’s eyes are wide, and her sword is in her hand, like she’s prepared to slice her way out of this place.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
To investigate the receptor, the researchers used live cultures of human brain cells along with slices of brain tissue collected during neurosurgery.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
For chicken soup, I roast thighs on a bed of onion, garlic, carrot and celery with big lemon slices, garlic powder, onion powder and plenty of black pepper.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
The hope is to be serving the community piping hot slices of pepperoni pizza by spring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
I spoke to one of the boat staff, Alessio, after he had finished handing round slices of watermelon to the clientele.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
As the girls sat on the floor to eat their slices, Nancy kept glancing at the small table.
From "Sleepover Sleuths: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #1" by Carolyn Keene
Hernández tossed his bat back toward the home dugout, and it sliced through the air end-over-end.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
A customizable, protein-heavy sub that’s sliced to order has a decent shot online, David writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
The number of people missing in the catastrophic flood that sliced through the border area between Nepal and Tibet neared 3,000 on Saturday, as rescuers scoured deep, leg-sucking mud for survivors.
From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026
So I sliced the kielbasa into coins, cut up one red pepper and one medium onion, tucked the whole thing into a reusable freezer bag and flattened it out.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
“You’re bigger,” she told me, “than sliced bread.”
From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen
In surveillance video, the men are seen slicing the depiction of Jesus at the ankles and carting it away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Japanese chefs gave a loud heave-ho before slicing up a 4-foot-long tuna to be handed out as sashimi to guests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The company is even investigating lasers and ultrasound as potentially speedier methods of slicing pizzas than a traditional knife blade.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
In the meantime, prepare your rolls by slicing them in half and toasting them cut-side down in melted butter over a warm skillet.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
Papa said Lord make us thankful for these and all our blessin’s for Christ sake a-men and started slicing the ham.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
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.
