Etymology

slough

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Today it means: The skin shed by a snake or other reptile. Full definition →

Middle English slogh ← Proto-Germanic *sluk-
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slough · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*sluk-
  2. Middle English · inherited fromslogh
  3. English todayslough

From Middle English slogh, slugh, slouh, from Proto-Germanic *sluk-, perhaps related to *sleupaną (“to slip, sneak”) (compare Gothic 𐍃𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍀𐌰𐌽 (sliupan)). Akin to Middle Low German slô (“sheath, skin on a hoof”). Perhaps also related with Old Saxon slūk (“snakeskin”), Middle High German slūch, whence German Schlauch (“waterskin, hose”).

slough · noun2

  1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*slōhaz
  2. Old English · inherited fromslōh
  3. Middle English · inherited fromslough“muddy place; swamp; mire”
  4. English todayslough

From Middle English slough (“muddy place; swamp; mire”), Old English slōh, probably from Proto-Germanic *slōhaz.

Slough · proper noun3

  1. Middle English · derived fromSlo
  2. English todaySlough

From Middle English Slo, perhaps related to the noun slough (“marsh”) (referring to the land) or to sloe (referring to bushes).

Words from the same roots

Middle Englishslough all →

sluff

Middle EnglishSlo all →

sloe

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.