What does "slimeball" mean?
A round lump made up of or coated with slime or a slime-like substance such as mucus.
Slimeball
/ˈslaɪm.bɔːl/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A round lump made up of or coated with slime or a slime-like substance such as mucus.
- Grammar: slimeball is listed as noun, slang.
- Usage evidence: The eggs [of a lancet fluke (Dicrocoelium dendriticum)] that pass out with the manure of an infested sheep do not hatch in the open. When eaten by the snail, they hatch and finally give rise to larvae that pass out of the snail's body in gelatinous "slime[-]balls."
How to use "slimeball"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "slimeball" 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
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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 "slimeball" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A round lump made up of or coated with slime or a slime-like substance such as mucus.
- 2 A round lump made up of or coated with slime or a slime-like substance such as mucus.; A mucus-coated lump containing the cercariae (“parasitic larvae”) of a liver fluke (of the phylum Platyhelminthes). specifically
"The eggs [of a lancet fluke (Dicrocoelium dendriticum)] that pass out with the manure of an infested sheep do not hatch in the open. When eaten by the snail, they hatch and finally give rise to larvae that pass out of the snail's body in gelatinous "slime[-]balls.""
- 3 A person who is slimy (that is, sneaky or underhanded) or otherwise undesirable. colloquial, derogatory, figuratively
"Even slimeballs were entitled to representation, though."
Example
"The eggs [of a lancet fluke (Dicrocoelium dendriticum)] that pass out with the manure of an infested sheep do not hatch in the open. When eaten by the snail, they hatch and finally give rise to larvae that pass out of the snail's body in gelatinous "slime[-]balls.""
Common questions
How do you use "slimeball" in a sentence?
The eggs [of a lancet fluke (Dicrocoelium dendriticum)] that pass out with the manure of an infested sheep do not hatch in the open. When eaten by the snail, they hatch and finally give rise to larvae that pass out of the snail's body in gelatinous "slime[-]balls."
How do you pronounce "slimeball"?
Pronounced /ˈslaɪm.bɔːl/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sley- Proto-Germanic *slīmą Old English slīm English slime Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- Proto-Germanic *balluz Old English *beall Middle English bal English ball English slimeball From slime + ball. Sense 1 (“a round lump made up of or coated with slime or a slime-like substance”) is a calque of German Schleimkugel, from Schleim (“mucus, slime”) + Kugel (“ball”), while sense 1.1 (“a mucus-coated lump containing the cercariae of a liver fluke”) may be a calque of German Schleimball (from Schleim (“slime”) + Ball (“ball”)).