slice

American  

[slahys] / slaɪs /

noun

• slices
  plural

1. a thin, flat piece cut from something.

   a slice of bread.

2. a part, portion, or share.

   a slice of land.

3. 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.

4. Sports.

   1. 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.

   2. a ball describing such a path.

5. Tennis. a stroke executed by hitting down on the ball with an underhand motion and thus creating backspin.

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verb (used with object)

• slices,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sliced,
  past participle,  past
• slicing
  present participle

1. to cut into slices; divide into parts.

2. to cut through or cleave with or as if with a knife.

   The ship sliced the sea.

3. to cut off or remove as a slice or slices (sometimes followed by off, away, from, etc.).

4. to remove by means of a slice, slice bar, or similar implement.

5. Sports. to hit (a ball) so as to result in a slice.

verb (used without object)

• slices,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sliced,
  past participle,  past
• slicing
  present participle

1. to slice something.

2. to admit of being sliced.

3. Sports.

   1. (of a player) to slice the ball.

   2. (of a ball) to describe a slice in flight.

slice British  

/ slaɪs /

noun

1. a thin flat piece cut from something having bulk

   a slice of pork

2. a share or portion

   a slice of the company's revenue

3. any of various utensils having a broad flat blade and resembling a spatula

4. 1. the flight of a ball that travels obliquely because it has been struck off centre

   2. the action of hitting such a shot

   3. the shot so hit

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verb

1. to divide or cut (something) into parts or slices

2. to cut in a clean and effortless manner

3. to move or go (through something) like a knife

   the ship sliced through the water

4. to cut or be cut (from) a larger piece

5. (tr) to remove by use of a slicing implement

6. to hit (a ball) with a slice

7. (tr) rowing to put the blade of the oar into (the water) slantwise

slice Idioms  

1. In addition to the subsequent idiom beginning with slice, also see greatest thing since sliced bread; no matter how you slice it.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• slicer
  noun
• preslice
  verb (used with object)
• sliceable
  adjective
• unsliced
  adjective
• slicingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• slices
  plural

Participles

• slicing
  present
• sliced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• slice
  simple
• slices
  simple
• have sliced
  perfect
• has sliced
  perfect
• am slicing
  progressive
• are slicing
  progressive
• is slicing
  progressive
• have been slicing
  perfect progressive
• has been slicing
  perfect progressive

Past

• sliced
  simple
• had sliced
  perfect
• was slicing
  progressive
• were slicing
  progressive
• had been slicing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will slice
  simple
• will have sliced
  perfect
• will be slicing
  progressive
• will have been slicing
  perfect progressive

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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

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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

See Examples For:

slice slices sliced slicing

The latest increase will add to the strain for the slice of ACA consumers who pay the full price for their plans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

But the merger would mean that Tesla shareholders will likely hold a "smaller slice of a much larger and more complex business," he added.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Then I immediately go home and slice them in half and wrap them in cling wrap and put them in an airtight Ziploc baggie and throw them in the freezer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

A small number of corporate giants now control a massive slice of the industry—exemplified by Paramount Skydance’s recent acquisition of Warner Bros.

From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2026

Usually I find her there, stirring milk on the stove and heating up a slice of apple pie.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

For appetizers, I also love putting out potato chips, olives, slices of salami and cucumbers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 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 researchers combined electrical stimulation with rapid freezing to capture tiny membrane changes in mouse and human brain slices.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 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

Everybody sets their cake slices aside to applaud as the screen fades to black, even though the film technically isn’t over.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

This millennial was also a fan: I personally fell for the zesty Linguica sausages and the Picanha steak, which is sliced thin and seasoned with rock salt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

Carter's company has more than 1,250 acres of apple orchards in Washington, and the fruit is grown for sliced apple portions – often sold to hotels and schools, for example.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

It’s just before the midweek lunch rush at Langer’s Deli and owner Norm Langer is behind the already-busy sandwich counter inspecting a stack of newly sliced rye bread.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

In fact, it becomes so fork-tender that the meat can’t be sliced in a machine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

“You’re bigger,” she told me, “than sliced bread.”

From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen

There’s no slicing and dicing without a sufficiently sharp edge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026

Staff have told me they want clear direction and an end to the salami slicing of resources.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

That’s because Evenepoel, a favorite to win a second road cycling world championship here on Sunday, seems almost lab-designed for the singular purpose of slicing through air on two wheels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

In the classroom, trainees crowded around instructor Luo Duocheng as he demonstrated slicing a slab of beef, marinating it, and skewering the meat to form identical kebabs.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

Then he takes out mayonnaise that smells like garlic and starts slicing a tomato.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

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Related Words

• carve
• cleave
• divide
• hack
• sever
• shave
• shred
• slash
• slit
• split
• strip

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