Slither

//ˈslɪð.ɚ// adj, noun, verb

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Slithery; slippery. archaic
Noun
  1. 1
    A limestone rubble. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    A sliver. countable, nonstandard, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To move about smoothly and from side to side. intransitive

    "[Indiana:] Wave it at anything that slithers. [Marion:] The whole place is slithering!"

  2. 2
    to pass or move unobtrusively or smoothly wordnet
  3. 3
    To slide. intransitive

    "Some snow slides recorded have exceeded a million tons and slithered down the mountain-side at a speed of 60 miles an hour."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English slitheren, alteration of slideren (“to slither, creep”), from Old English slidrian (“to slip, slide, slither”), from Proto-West Germanic *slidrōn (“to slide, slither”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleydʰ- (“to slip”), equivalent to slide + -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Dutch slidderen (“to slip, wriggle, slither”), German schlittern (“to slither, skid”). More at slide.

Etymology 2

From Middle English slitheren, alteration of slideren (“to slither, creep”), from Old English slidrian (“to slip, slide, slither”), from Proto-West Germanic *slidrōn (“to slide, slither”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleydʰ- (“to slip”), equivalent to slide + -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Dutch slidderen (“to slip, wriggle, slither”), German schlittern (“to slither, skid”). More at slide.

Etymology 3

From Middle English slitheren, alteration of slideren (“to slither, creep”), from Old English slidrian (“to slip, slide, slither”), from Proto-West Germanic *slidrōn (“to slide, slither”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleydʰ- (“to slip”), equivalent to slide + -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Dutch slidderen (“to slip, wriggle, slither”), German schlittern (“to slither, skid”). More at slide.

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