What does "slicker" mean?
One who or that which slicks.
Slicker
/ˈslɪkɚ/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who or that which slicks.
- Grammar: slicker is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: deceiver, abradant, abrasive, beguiler.
- Useful contrasts: bushier, bare skin, clumsy.
- Usage evidence: There are numerous grooming products on the market, particularly for longhaired cats – for example, rakes, slickers and detangle sprays, many of which claim to make grooming as simple and safe as possible.
How to use "slicker"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "slicker" 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 "slicker" 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 "slicker" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "slicker" 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 "slicker" is acting as adj, noun, verb, 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 "deceiver" 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 "slicker", 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 One who or that which slicks.
- 2 a macintosh made from cotton fabric treated with oil and pigment to make it waterproof wordnet
- 3 A waterproof coat or jacket. US
- 4 someone who leads you to believe something that is not true wordnet
- 5 A person who is perceived as clever, urbane and possibly disreputable. (abbreviation of city slicker.)
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a person with good manners and stylish clothing wordnet
- 7 A swindler or conman. slang
- 8 A symmetrical knife with a handle at each end, used for burnishing leather.
- 9 A curved tool for smoothing the surfaces of a mould after the withdrawal of the pattern.
- 10 A two-handled tool for finishing concrete or mortar; a darby.
- 11 Synonym of slicker brush
"There are numerous grooming products on the market, particularly for longhaired cats – for example, rakes, slickers and detangle sprays, many of which claim to make grooming as simple and safe as possible."
Verb
- 1 To slither, as on a slick surface.
"My good lady wife invited many and often her friends to a dish of cauliflower cooked as it ought to be and finely seasoned, and you ought to see how they slickered their tongues; it looked like appetite all over their faces."
- 2 To con or hoodwink.
"I knew he had been slickered again."
- 3 To use a slicker on.
"...carbon bisulphide, chloride of sulphur and sulphur precipitating substances, the surplus rubber adhering to the hide being then slickered off and finished with a cloth dipped in a rubber solvent."
- 4 To smooth or slick.
"Anyway, to make a long story short, here was this young kin of mine dressed in a white shirt and shoes and pale blue shorts standin' there with his hair slickered down, starin' at me."
- 5 To spread mashed manure on fields as a form of fertilization.
Adjective
- 1 comparative form of slick: more slick comparative, form-of
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"There are numerous grooming products on the market, particularly for longhaired cats – for example, rakes, slickers and detangle sprays, many of which claim to make grooming as simple and safe as possible."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "slicker"?
Common synonyms include: deceiver, abradant, abrasive, beguiler, bunco artist, bunco steerer.
How do you use "slicker" in a sentence?
There are numerous grooming products on the market, particularly for longhaired cats – for example, rakes, slickers and detangle sprays, many of which claim to make grooming as simple and safe as possible.
How do you pronounce "slicker"?
Pronounced /ˈslɪkɚ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From the adjective slick.
Etymology 2
From slick (“to smooth or make slick”) + -er.