slime

American  

[slahym] / slaɪm /

noun

1. thin, glutinous mud.

2. any ropy or viscous liquid matter, especially of a foul kind.

3. a viscous secretion of animal or vegetable origin.

4. Also called slimeball.  Slang. a repulsive or despicable person.

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verb (used with object)

slimed, sliming

1. to cover or smear with or as if with slime.

2. to remove slime from, as fish for canning.

slime British  

/ slaɪm /

noun

1. soft thin runny mud or filth

2. any moist viscous fluid, esp when noxious or unpleasant

3. a mucous substance produced by various organisms, such as fish, slugs, and fungi

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verb

1. to cover with slime

2. to remove slime from (fish) before canning

slime Scientific  

/ slīm /

1. A slippery or sticky mucous substance secreted by certain animals, such as slugs or snails.

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Usage

What else does slime mean? What’s up, slime? Slime is slang for a (usually male) "friend," often used as a term of address, like dude or bro.

Etymology

Origin of slime

before 1000; Middle English slyme, Old English slīm; cognate with Dutch slijm, German Schleim, Old Norse slīm

Explanation

Slime is a substance that's slippery, damp, and gooey, like the slime that grows on the bottom on a swimming pool if it's not cleaned often enough. People are generally disgusted by slime, so if your dinner guest comments that your famous spinach soufflé looks like slime, you'll probably feel insulted. Like your spinach soufflé, slime is usually greenish in color, though the clear stuff a snail leaves behind is slime too. If you slime something, you cover it in a slimy substance. Experts believe that slime comes from the Old English lim, "sticky substance," which shares a root with the Russian slimak, or "snail."

Example Sentences

Slime was gently lapping ashore just a few feet away.

From Salon • Aug. 16, 2025

Slime, she says, has helped foster connections, helping her family better deal with disabilities and stressful moments.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2024

As DA, Willis pursued racketeering indictments against more than two-dozen people affiliated with the alleged street gang Young Slime Life, including award-winning rapper Young Thug.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 15, 2023

Nickelodeon’s Slime Metallic Mixer Studio lets kids make mess-free slime, complete with add-ins like beads, stars and color powder.

From Washington Post • Nov. 15, 2021

There’s even a very sticky-looking Slime Magazine beside a Supernatural Geographic.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

Related Words

• goo
• gunk
• mucus
• mud
• sludge