What does "aslope" mean?
Slanted, sloping.
Aslope
/əˈsləʊp/ adj, adv, prep
adj, adv, prep ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Slanted, sloping.
- Grammar: aslope is listed as adj, adv, prep.
- Nearest alternatives: aside, askant, aslant, beveled.
- Usage evidence: VVhere Porters Hogſheads roll from Carts aſlope, / Or Brevvers dovvn ſteep Cellars ſtretch the Rope, / VVhere counted Billets are by Carmen toſt; / Stay thy raſh Steps, and vvalk vvithout the Poſt.
How to use "aslope"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "aslope" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "aslope" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "aslope" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "aslope" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "aslope" is acting as adj, adv, prep in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aside" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "aslope", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Slanted, sloping. archaic, not-comparable
"VVhere Porters Hogſheads roll from Carts aſlope, / Or Brevvers dovvn ſteep Cellars ſtretch the Rope, / VVhere counted Billets are by Carmen toſt; / Stay thy raſh Steps, and vvalk vvithout the Poſt."
Adjective
- 1 having an oblique or slanted direction wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Sloping, in a sloping manner; slanted along a slope. archaic, not-comparable
"But the Flemynges with theyr arbalasters and theyr longe mareys pykes set aslope before them / wounded so theyr horses, that they lay tumbelynge one in the others necke / so that they were the letters^([sic – meaning fetters?]) of the other whiche were on fote, that they myght not exercyse theyr feat of armes."
- 2 Indirectly, obliquely. archaic, figuratively, not-comparable
"[N]euertheleſſe he would that point ſhould be leſſe and more finely and cloſely handled, not euen fully playne and directly, but touched a ſlope craftily, as though men ſpared in that point to ſpeake al the truth for feare of his diſpleaſure."
- 3 In an unfavourable or unintended direction. archaic, figuratively, not-comparable
"[H]e gan fovvly vvyte / His vvicked fortune, that had turnd aſlope, / And curſed night, that reſt from him ſo goodly ſcope."
Preposition
- 1 Diagonally across or over; aslant. archaic
"[T]he King, […] puts the Belt ouer the necke of the Knight, aſlope his breaſt, placing the Svvord vnder his left Arme: […]"
Example
"VVhere Porters Hogſheads roll from Carts aſlope, / Or Brevvers dovvn ſteep Cellars ſtretch the Rope, / VVhere counted Billets are by Carmen toſt; / Stay thy raſh Steps, and vvalk vvithout the Poſt."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "aslope"?
Common synonyms include: aside, askant, aslant, beveled, bias, biased.
How do you use "aslope" in a sentence?
VVhere Porters Hogſheads roll from Carts aſlope, / Or Brevvers dovvn ſteep Cellars ſtretch the Rope, / VVhere counted Billets are by Carmen toſt; / Stay thy raſh Steps, and vvalk vvithout the Poſt.
How do you pronounce "aslope"?
Pronounced /əˈsləʊp/.
Etymology
From Middle English aslop, aslope (“at an angle or slant; aside”); further etymology uncertain, probably either: * from Old English āslopen (“slipped away”), the past participle of āslūpan (“to slip away”), from ā- (prefix meaning ‘away; from; off; out’) + slūpan (“to glide, slip”) (from Proto-West Germanic *sleupan (“to move stealthily, creep, sneak”), from Proto-Germanic *sleupaną (“to move stealthily, creep, sneak”), probably either from Proto-Indo-European *slewbʰ- (“to glide, slide, slip”) or *slewp- (“to glide, slip”)); or * from Middle English a- + *slope (adjective). However, the Oxford English Dictionary notes that the adjective slope (now obsolete) is attested later than aslope and is probably an aphetic form of the latter. The adverb is more common than the adjective.