sliding

[ slahy-ding ]

/ ˈslaɪ dɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sliding ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

rising or falling, increasing or decreasing, according to a standard or to a set of conditions.

operated, adjusted, or moved by sliding: a sliding door.

Nearby words

slide-action, slidell, slider, slideshow, slideway, sliding, sliding fit, sliding flap, sliding friction, sliding hernia, sliding rule

Origin of sliding

before 900; Middle English; Old English slīdende. See slide, -ing²

Related forms

slid·ing·ly, adverbslid·ing·ness, nounun·slid·ing, adjective

Definition for sliding (2 of 2)

slide

[ slahyd ]

/ slaɪd /

verb (used without object), slid [slid] /slɪd/, slid or slid·den [slid-n] /ˈslɪd n/, slid·ing.

to move along in continuous contact with a smooth or slippery surface: to slide down a snow-covered hill.

to slip or skid.

to glide or pass smoothly.

to slip easily, quietly, or unobtrusively on or as if on a track, channel, or guide rail (usually followed by in, out, away, etc.).

to pass or fall gradually into a specified state, character, practice, etc.

to decline or decrease: Interest rates are beginning to slide.

Baseball. (of a base runner) to cast oneself, usually feet first, forward along the ground in the direction of the base being approached, to present less of a target for a baseman attempting to make a tag.

verb (used with object), slid [slid] /slɪd/, slid or slid·den [slid-n] /ˈslɪd n/, slid·ing.

to cause to slide, slip, or coast, as over a surface or with a smooth, gliding motion.

to hand, pass along, or slip (something) easily or quietly (usually followed by in, into, etc.): to slide a note into someone's hand.

noun

an act or instance of sliding.

a smooth surface for sliding on, especially a type of chute in a playground.

an object intended to slide.

Geology.

a landslide or the like.
the mass of matter sliding down.

a single transparency, object, or image for projection in a projector, as a lantern slide.

Photography. a small positive color transparency mounted for projection on a screen or magnification through a viewer.

a usually rectangular plate of glass on which objects are placed for microscopic examination.

Furniture. a shelf sliding into the body of a piece when not in use.

Music.

an embellishment consisting of an upward or downward series of three or more tones, the last of which is the principal tone.
a portamento.
a U-shaped section of the tube of an instrument of the trumpet class, as the trombone, that can be pushed in or out to alter the length of the air column and change the pitch.

a vehicle mounted on runners, for conveying loads, as of grain or wood, especially over a level surface.

(of a machine or mechanism)

a moving part working on a track, channel, or guide rails.
the surface, track, channel, or guide rails on which the part moves.

any of various chutes used in logging, mining, or materials handling.

a flat or very low-heeled, backless shoe or slipper that can be slipped on and off the foot easily.

Origin of slide

before 950; Middle English sliden (v.), Old English slīdan; cognate with Middle Low German slīden, Middle High German slīten; akin to sled

SYNONYMS FOR slide

1 slither. Slide, glide, slip suggest movement over a smooth surface. Slide suggests a movement of one surface over another in contact with it: to slide downhill. Glide suggests a continuous, smooth, easy, and (usually) noiseless motion: a skater gliding over the ice. To slip is to slide in a sudden or accidental way: to slip on the ice and fall.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR slide ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

slid·a·ble, adjectiveslid·a·ble·ness, nounout·slide, verb (used with object), out·slid, out·slid or out·slid·den, out·slid·ing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sliding

Sliding around beneath the surface of Los Angeles is something dark, primordial, and without form.
The Fiery Underground Oil Pit Eating L.A.|Geoff Manaugh|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Each room has its own swimming pool and sliding walls made of glass.
The Addictive Curse of ‘Let’s Plays’|Tom Sykes|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Or perhaps EBT programs could permit the purchase of ethical items based on a sliding price scale.
The Bioethicist Turned Butcher|Elizabeth Picciuto|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Paddling across the glassy flat surface feels like sliding through warm butter.
Our Trip to The Climate War's Ground Zero|Darren Aronofsky|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In France, parents pay for their childcare on a sliding scale based on their income—the rest is subsidized by the government.
Free Market Failure: Raising a Kid Is a Rigged Game in the USA|Monica Potts|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The big crane on the end of the mole was now on the Estremedura's quarter, and they were sliding into the mouth of the harbour.
For Jacinta|Harold Bindloss
Then he sends his shuttle, containing a bobbin full of thread, sliding across over the odd threads and under the even.
Makers of Many Things|Eva March Tappan
Walking giddily along the unstable, sliding earth, she allowed him to guide her to the old stone seat on the south terrace.
Shadows of Flames|Amelie Rives
He straightened himself as he caught sight of Barrant, and opened the sliding window.
The Moon Rock|Arthur J. Rees
Sliding, as an art, is of recent growth, though it has long been the practice of base-runners to drop to avoid being touched.
Base-Ball|John M. Ward

British Dictionary definitions for sliding (1 of 2)

sliding

/ (ˈslaɪdɪŋ) /

adjective

rising or falling in accordance with given specificationsfees were charged as a sliding percentage of income

regulated or moved by sliding

British Dictionary definitions for sliding (2 of 2)

slide

/ (slaɪd) /

verb slides, sliding, slid (slɪd), slid or slidden (ˈslɪdən)

to move or cause to move smoothly along a surface in continual contact with itdoors that slide open; children sliding on the ice

(intr) to lose grip or balancehe slid on his back

(intr; usually foll by into, out of, away from, etc) to pass or move gradually and unobtrusivelyshe slid into the room

(intr usually foll by into) to go (into a specified condition) by degrees, unnoticeably, etche slid into loose living

(foll by in, into, etc) to move (an object) unobtrusively or (of an object) to move in this wayhe slid the gun into his pocket

(intr) music to execute a portamento

let slide to allow to follow a natural course, esp one leading to deteriorationto let things slide

noun

the act or an instance of sliding

a smooth surface, as of ice or mud, for sliding on

a construction incorporating an inclined smooth slope for sliding down in playgrounds, etc

rowing a sliding seat in a boat or its runners

a thin glass plate on which specimens are mounted for microscopic study

Also called: transparency a positive photograph on a transparent base, mounted in a cardboard or plastic frame or between glass plates, that can be viewed by means of a slide projector

Also called: hair slide mainly British an ornamental clip to hold hair in placeUS and Canadian name: barrette

machinery

a sliding part or member
the track, guide, or channel on or in which such a part slides

music

the sliding curved tube of a trombone that is moved in or out to allow the production of different harmonic series and a wider range of notes
a portamento

music

a metal or glass tube placed over a finger held against the frets of a guitar to produce a portamento
the style of guitar playing using a slideSee also bottleneck (def. 3)

geology

the rapid downward movement of a large mass of earth, rocks, etc, caused by erosion, faulting, etc
the mass of material involved in this descentSee also landslide

Derived Forms

slidable, adjectiveslider, noun

Word Origin for slide

Old English slīdan; related to slidor slippery, sliderian to slither, Middle High German slīten

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

Medicine definitions for sliding

slide

[ slīd ]

n.

A small glass plate for mounting specimens to be examined under a microscope.

Science definitions for sliding

slide

[ slīd ]

A mass movement of earth, rocks, snow, or ice down a slope. Slides can be caused by an accumulation of new matter or of moisture in the overlying material, or by erosion within or below the material. They are often triggered by an earthquake or other disturbance such as an explosion.

The mass of material resulting from such a process.

Idioms and Phrases with sliding

slide

see let ride (slide); let slip (slide).