slush

American  

[sluhsh] / slʌʃ /

noun

1. partly melted snow.

2. liquid mud; watery mire.

3. waste, as fat, grease, or other refuse, from the galley of a ship.

4. a mixture of grease and other materials for lubricating.

5. silly, sentimental, or weakly emotional talk or writing.

   romantic slush.

6. slush pile.

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verb (used with object)

1. to splash with slush.

2. to grease, polish, or cover with slush.

3. to fill or cover with mortar or cement.

4. to wash with a large quantity of water, as by dashing it on.

slush British  

/ slʌʃ /

noun

1. any watery muddy substance, esp melting snow

2. informal sloppily sentimental language

3. nautical waste fat from the galley of a ship

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verb

1. to make one's way through or as if through slush

2. (intr) to make a slushing sound

Etymology

Origin of slush

1635–45; apparently cognate with Norwegian slusk slops, Swedish slask mud, slops

Explanation

Slush is messy melted snow, a mixture of ice and water. If you forget to wear your waterproof boots, you'll want to watch out for the slush as you walk through the city in February. Slush forms when snow melts slightly, leaving behind a substance that's similar to snow, but wetter. A sweet, icy drink is also a slush or a slushy, while a "slush pile" is a heap of manuscripts and letters that are sent, unsolicited, to a publisher. And a "slush fund" is either an extra, backup bank account, or a secret one full of illegally obtained money. One thing is for sure: slush is messy.

Example Sentences

Dahlia Lithwick: If you put “American politics as usual” in some imaginary halcyon past at 1 and Watergate at 10, where’s this slush fund scandal registering for you?

From Slate • May 26, 2026

In 2008, both Lee Jae-yong and his father resigned after a former Samsung lawyer turned whistle-blower claimed knowledge of a slush fund that was being used for bribes and political payoffs.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Instead, he siphoned the money into a personal slush fund, leased a Manhattan apartment, renovated a lakefront property and spent $3,000 on a birthday dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant, according to the indictment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

And since no one wants to ski on ice or slush, artificial snow will be used.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

I dug down into the snow and pulled up some of the slush underneath.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt

Related Words

• mud