slew
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
slew¹
- /sl(j)uː/
- /slɪu̯/
Sounds like sleugh, slough, slue · Rhymes with -uː
Where it comes from
In all senses, a mostly British spelling of slue.
noun slews
- The act, or process of slewing.
- A device used for slewing.
- A change of position. Bond automatically slammed the brakes full on and braced all his sinews against the wheel to correct the inevitable slew to the left, but he only kept control for a split second.
verb slews · slewing · slewed
- To rotate or turn something about its axis. His gunnery officer, Lieutenant Commander William R. D. Nickelson, Jr., preferred to respond with other hardware. At once he shouted into his headset mike: "Fuck that! Open fire!" His assistant, Lloyd Mustin, was recording accurate ranges from the narrowcasting fire-control radar and didn't need hel
- To veer a vehicle. As the 5th Battle Squadron comes into the range of the High Seas Fleet, Admiral Evan-Thomas, who, so far, has dutifully followed Beatty's orders (or lack of them), has finally had just about enough. He can see the danger, plain as day, as the High Seas Fleet's leading elements open up a barrage with
- To insert extra ticks or skip some ticks of a clock to slowly correct its time.
- To pivot.
- To skid.
- To move something (usually a railway line) sideways. The single line was slewed onto the disused up formation to make way for the future redoubling.
- To make a public mockery of someone through insult or wit.
slew²
- /sluː/
- /sl(j)uː/
- /slɪu̯/
Sounds like sleugh, slough, slue · Rhymes with -uː
Where it comes from
Attested since at least 1708, a North American variant of slough.
noun slews
- Alternative spelling of slough (“a marshy or swampy place”) (reflecting the alternative pronunciation).slough The prairie round about is wet, at times almost marshy, especially at the borders of the great reedy slews.
slew³
- /sl(j)uː/
- /slɪu̯/
Sounds like sleugh, slough, slue · Rhymes with -uː
Where it comes from
Ablaut of slay, from Middle English slew, sleugh, past of Middle English sleen.
Replaced earlier Middle English slough, slogh, from Old English slōg (past of Old English slēan (“to hit, strike, slay”)), due to the influence of knew, drew, etc. More at slay.
verb
- simple past of slay
slew⁴
- /sl(j)uː/
- /slɪu̯/
Sounds like sleugh, slough, slue · Rhymes with -uː
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Irish slua (“crowd”) and Scottish Gaelic sluagh (“crowd”), from Middle Irish slúag, from Old Irish slóg, from Proto-Celtic *slougos (“troop, army”), from Proto-Indo-European *slowgʰos, *slowgos (“entourage”).
noun slews
- A large amount. She has a slew of papers and notebooks strewn all over her desk.
- A crowd or large number of people.
