slug

[ sluhg ]

/ slʌg /

noun

any of various snaillike terrestrial gastropods having no shell or only a rudimentary one, feeding on plants and a pest of leafy garden crops.

a nudibranch.

a metal disk used as a coin or token, generally counterfeit.

a piece of lead or other metal for firing from a gun.

any heavy piece of crude metal.

Printing.

a thick strip of type metal less than type-high.
such a strip containing a type-high number or other character for temporary use.
a line of type in one piece, as produced by a Linotype.

Informal. a shot of liquor taken neat; belt.

Slang. a person who is lazy or slow-moving; sluggard.

a slow-moving animal, vehicle, or the like.

Journalism.

Also called catchline. a short phrase or title used to indicate the story content of newspaper or magazine copy.
the line of type carrying this information.

Metalworking. a small piece of metal ready for processing.

a gold coin of California, privately issued in 1849 and for some time after, worth 50 dollars.

Physics. a unit of mass, equivalent to approximately 32.2 pounds (15 kg) and having the property that a force of one pound acting upon a mass of this unit produces an acceleration of one foot per second per second.

an irregular projection or knob on the surface of yarn, usually produced by lint or by defects in weaving.

verb (used with object), slugged, slug·ging.

Printing.

to make (corrections) by replacing entire lines of type, especially as set by a Linotype.
to check the lines of (typeset copy) against copy of the previous typesetting stage to ensure that no line has been omitted, especially before printing or plating.

Journalism. to furnish (copy) with a slug.

to interpolate pieces of metal into (a joint being welded).

Words nearby slug

sludgeworm, sludging, sludgy, slue, sluff, slug, slugabed, slugfest, sluggard, sluggardly, slugger

Origin of slug

1375–1425; late Middle English slugge sluggard < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian (dial.) sluggje heavy, slow person

OTHER WORDS FROM slug

slug·like, adjective

Definition for slug (2 of 2)

slug²

[ sluhg ]

/ slʌg /

Informal.

verb (used with object), slugged, slug·ging.

to strike heavily; hit hard, especially with the fist.

to hit or drive (a baseball) very hard or a great distance.

verb (used without object), slugged, slug·ging.

to hit or be capable of hitting hard.

to trudge, fight, or push onward, as against obstacles or through mud or snow: The infantry slugged up the hill and dug in.

noun

a hard blow or hit, especially with a fist or baseball bat.

Origin of slug

1820–30; orig. in phrase hit with a slug; see slug¹

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

Examples from the Web for slug

One night, he pumped a slug from a .357 magnum into the chest of his bass player (who lived to sue).
The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis|Richard Ben Cramer|January 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now Lean over And slug Bruce for me, As I follow up With a hug for him Next time I see him.
The Poems of Sarah Palin|Michael Solomon|June 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It wasn't like he was like the slug who came from nowhere exactly.
Top Chef's Surprise Finish|Jace Lacob|September 15, 2010|DAILY BEAST
When a slug is encouraged to slime its way down a narrow cul-de-sac, how does it beat a retreat?
Best of Brit Lit|Peter Stothard|July 24, 2009|DAILY BEAST

He grimaces and takes a slug of coffee to get him through the horror of the thought.
Revenge of the Wallflower|Fiona Golfar|June 23, 2009|DAILY BEAST
This is actually the jacket that holds the powder and not the slug.
Warren Commission (7 of 26): Hearings Vol. VII (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
And it anybody tries to slug you back, like I did just now, duck it and clobber him in another unprotected spot.
Masters of Space|Edward Elmer Smith
Then again, if the day be wet, the slug works by day as well as by night.
Rural Rides|William Cobbett
Slug, slug, n. a cylindrical or oval piece of metal for firing from a gun: a piece of crude metal.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
He was sorry he had to slug her, but she gave him no resistance.
Love Story|Irving E. Cox, Jr.

British Dictionary definitions for slug (1 of 3)

slug¹

/ (slʌɡ) /

noun

any of various terrestrial gastropod molluscs of the genera Limax, Arion, etc, in which the body is elongated and the shell is absent or very much reducedCompare sea slug Related adjective: limacine

any of various other invertebrates having a soft slimy body, esp the larvae of certain sawflies

informal, mainly US and Canadian a slow-moving or lazy person or animal

Word Origin for slug

C15 (in the sense: a slow person or animal): probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian (dialect) sluggje

British Dictionary definitions for slug (2 of 3)

slug²

/ (slʌɡ) /

noun

an fps unit of mass; the mass that will acquire an acceleration of 1 foot per second per second when acted upon by a force of 1 pound. 1 slug is approximately equal to 32.17 pounds

metallurgy a metal blank from which small forgings are worked

a bullet or pellet larger than a pellet of buckshot

mainly US and Canadian a metal token for use in slot machines, etc

printing

a thick strip of type metal that is less than type-high and is used for spacing
a similar strip carrying a type-high letter, used as a temporary mark by compositors
a metal strip containing a line of characters as produced by a linecaster

a draught of a drink, esp an alcoholic one

a magnetic core that is screwed into or out of an inductance coil to adjust the tuning of a radio frequency amplifier

Word Origin for slug

C17 (bullet), C19 (printing): perhaps from slug 1, with allusion to the shape of the animal

British Dictionary definitions for slug (3 of 3)

slug³

/ (slʌɡ) /

verb slugs, slugging or slugged

to hit very hard and solidly, as in boxing

(intr) US and Canadian to plod as if through snow

(tr) Australian and NZ informal to charge (someone) an exorbitant price

slug it out informal to fight, compete, or struggle with fortitude

noun

an act of slugging; heavy blow

Australian and NZ informal an exorbitant charge or price

Word Origin for slug

C19: perhaps from slug ² (bullet)

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

slug

noun

verb (used with object), slugged, slug·ging.

Content related to slug

Words related to slug

Words nearby slug

Origin of slug

OTHER WORDS FROM slug

Definition for slug (2 of 2)

verb (used with object), slugged, slug·ging.

verb (used without object), slugged, slug·ging.

noun

Origin of slug

Examples from the Web for slug

British Dictionary definitions for slug (1 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for slug

British Dictionary definitions for slug (2 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for slug

British Dictionary definitions for slug (3 of 3)

verb slugs, slugging or slugged

noun

Word Origin for slug