What does "slabby" mean?
A worker who deals with timber in the form of slabs.
Slabby
adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A worker who deals with timber in the form of slabs.
- Grammar: slabby is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: adhesive, amylaceous, barfy, clabbered.
- Usage evidence: The Pope in sending Relicks to Princes, does as Wenches do by their Wassels at New-years-tide, they present you with a Cup, and you must drink of a slabby stuff; but the meaning is, you must give them Moneys, ten times more than it is worth.
How to use "slabby"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "slabby" 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 "slabby" 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 "slabby" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "slabby" 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 "slabby" is acting as adj, noun, slang 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 "adhesive" 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.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "slabby", 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
Noun
- 1 A worker who deals with timber in the form of slabs. New-Zealand, informal
"The employer shall supply the sawyer and tailer-out at breast bench, workers operating goose-saws, and slabbies with suitable leather aprons for use while so employed. When requested by the worker a suitable apron shall be supplied to timber stackers, lorry drivers, and machinists."
Adjective
- 1 Of a liquid: thick; viscous.
"The Pope in sending Relicks to Princes, does as Wenches do by their Wassels at New-years-tide, they present you with a Cup, and you must drink of a slabby stuff; but the meaning is, you must give them Moneys, ten times more than it is worth."
- 2 Composed of slabs; resembling a slab or slabs; inelegant, cumbersome, clunky.
"Then he set up another shop an’ hired some of us ’round here to go an’ make them big, slabby art-chairs."
- 3 Of a surface: sloppy, slimy.
"When waggiſh Boys the ſtunted Beeſom ply, / To rid the ſlabby Pavement; paſs not by / E’er thou haſt held their Hands; ſome heedleſs Flirt / Will over-ſpread thy Calves with ſpatt’ring Dirt."
- 4 Characterized by smooth relatively low-angle rock face or slab that lacks significant vertical features.
- 5 Rainy, wet. (of weather)
"1581, John Studley (translator), Hercules Oetaeus, Act I, in Seneca his Tenne Tragedies, Translated into Englysh, London: Thomas Marsh, To Virgo, Leo turnes the time, and in a reaking sweate. He buskling vp his burning Mane, doth dry the dropping south. And swallowes vp the slabby cloudes in fyry foming mouth."
Example
"The Pope in sending Relicks to Princes, does as Wenches do by their Wassels at New-years-tide, they present you with a Cup, and you must drink of a slabby stuff; but the meaning is, you must give them Moneys, ten times more than it is worth."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "slabby"?
Common synonyms include: adhesive, amylaceous, barfy, clabbered, clammy, clotted.
How do you use "slabby" in a sentence?
The Pope in sending Relicks to Princes, does as Wenches do by their Wassels at New-years-tide, they present you with a Cup, and you must drink of a slabby stuff; but the meaning is, you must give them Moneys, ten times more than it is worth.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From slab (“mud, sludge”) + -y.
Etymology 2
From slab (“solid object that is large and flat”) + -y.