Etymology

slab

S1L1A1B3

Today it means: A large, flat piece of solid material; a solid object that is large and flat. Full definition →

First used 20th c.Middle English sclabbe ← Old Norse sleipr ← Proto-Germanic *slaipaz
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slab · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)leyb-
  2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*slaipaz
  3. Old Norse · derived fromsleipr
  4. Middle English · inherited fromsclabbe
  5. English todayslab

From Middle English sclabbe, slabbe, of uncertain origin; possibly from *slap, related to dialectal slappel (“portion, piece”), along with slape (“slippery”), sleip (“smooth piece of timber”), borrowed through Old Norse sleipr from Proto-Germanic *slaipaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leyb-. See also Norwegian sleip (“slippery”) and Icelandic sleipur.

slab · noun, adjective2

Compare Scottish Gaelic slàib (“mud”) and Irish slaba (“muddy flat”), and English slop (“puddle”).

slab · noun3

Acronym of Slow, Loud And Bangin'. This term been popularized through the southern rap genre of hip-hop, most notably by rappers such as Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Lil' Keke, and others.

slab · noun4

From syllable.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 20th c. A carton containing 24 cans (chiefly of beer).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.