slabby

comparative slabbier · superlative slabbiest

1. Of a liquid: thick; viscous.

   The Pope in sending Relicks to Princes, does as Wenches do by their Wassels at New-years-tide, they present you with a Cup, and you must drink of a slabby stuff; but the meaning is, you must give them Moneys, ten times more than it is worth.

   1696, John Selden, “Pope”, in Table-Talk, London: Jacob Tonson, page 127

2. Of a surface: sloppy, slimy.

   When waggiſh Boys the ſtunted Beeſom ply, / To rid the ſlabby Pavement; paſs not by / E’er thou haſt held their Hands; ſome heedleſs Flirt / Will over-ſpread thy Calves with ſpatt’ring Dirt.

   [1716], [John] Gay, “Book II. Of Walking the Streets by Day.”, in Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London, London: […] Bernard Lintott, […], →OCLC, page 27

   1 more example

   I went down into the garden, intended to be prim and quaint, with avenues, and terraces, and orange-trees, and statues, and water in stone basins; and everything was green, gaunt, weedy, straggling, under grown or over grown, mildewy, damp, redolent of all sorts of slabby, clammy, creeping, and uncomfortable life.

   1846, Charles Dickens, “Genoa and its Neighbourhood”, in Pictures from Italy, London: […] Bradbury & Evans, […], →OCLC, page 48

3. Rainy, wet. (of weather)

   […] I am only to caution our labourer as to the present work, that he do not stir the ground in over-wet and slabby weather […]

   1676, John Evelyn, A Philosophical Discourse of Earth, London: John Martyn, page 58

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   1581, John Studley (translator), Hercules Oetaeus, Act I, in Seneca his Tenne Tragedies, Translated into Englysh, London: Thomas Marsh, To Virgo, Leo turnes the time, and in a reaking sweate. He buskling vp his burning Mane, doth dry the dropping south. And swallowes vp the slabby cloudes in fyry foming mouth.

comparative slabbier · superlative slabbiest

1. Composed of slabs; resembling a slab or slabs; inelegant, cumbersome, clunky.

   He was big and pink and slabby with muscle, but not very hairy, for a white man.

   1962, Richard McKenna, The Sand Pebbles, New York: Harper & Row, Chapter

   2 more examples

   Then he set up another shop an’ hired some of us ’round here to go an’ make them big, slabby art-chairs.

   1905, Robert W. Chambers, Iole, New York: D. Appleton, page 3

   The papers were full yesterday morning, you see, of the iPad. […] a million fidget-fingered twits were salivating for the chance to show off their slabby electro-tablets […]

   2010 May 30, Euan Ferguson, “Hay’s unmissable (if you can get there...)”, in The Guardian

2. climbingCharacterized by smooth relatively low-angle rock face or slab that lacks significant vertical features.

plural slabbies

1. New ZealandinformalA worker who deals with timber in the form of slabs.

   'My husband worked in a sawmill,' said Gran. […] 'And his brother. Slabbies, both of them. What sort of work was that for men with brains?'

   2018, Kate De Goldi, Love, Charlie Mike

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   The employer shall supply the sawyer and tailer-out at breast bench, workers operating goose-saws, and slabbies with suitable leather aprons for use while so employed. When requested by the worker a suitable apron shall be supplied to timber stackers, lorry drivers, and machinists.

   1982, New Zealand. Arbitration Court, Awards, Agreements, Orders, and Decisions Made Under the Industrial Relations Act, the Apprentices Act, and Other Industrial Legislation for the Year ..., volume 82, number 3, page 2167