slide

present singular third person slides · participle present sliding · past slid · participle past slid · participle past slidden

1. ergativeTo (cause to) move in continuous contact with a surface.

   The safe slid slowly.

   2 more examples

   He slid the boat across the grass.

   Snow slides down the side of a mountain.

2. intransitiveTo move on a low-friction surface.

   The car slid on the ice.

   1 more example

   They bathe in summer, and in winter slide.

   c. 1685, Edmund Waller, Of the Invasion and Defeat of the Turks

3. intransitiveball gamesTo drop down and skid into a base.

   Jones slid into second.

4. intransitiveTo lose one’s balance on a slippery surface.

   He slid while going around the corner.

   Synonyms: slip

5. transitiveTo pass or put imperceptibly; to slip.

   to alter the meaning of a question by sliding in a word

   2 more examples

   Schoolchildren sometimes slide each other notes during class.

   Lachey and Olson have become rather chummy the last couple of years—they slide each other free tickets, they visit each other at practice sessions and games, their wives hang out—and, well, Olson has been filling Lachey’s head with a lot of baseball talk.

   1992 October, Steve Buckley, “Boss Hog: Jim Lachey is the best offensive lineman in football playing on the best team in football”, in Sport, volume 83, number 10, →ISSN, page 64

6. transitiveTo subtly direct a facial expression at (someone).

   He slid me a dirty look.

7. intransitiveobsoleteTo pass inadvertently.

   Beware thou ſlide not by it, leſt thou fall before him that lieth in wait.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ecclesiasticus 28:26, column 2

8. intransitiveTo pass along smoothly or unobservedly; to move gently onward without friction or hindrance.

   A ship or boat slides through the water.

   3 more examples

   Ages shall slide away without perceiving.

   1692, John Dryden, Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero, a Tragedy

   Begin vvith Senſe, of ev'ry Art the Soul, / Parts anſw'ring parts ſhall ſlide into a VVhole, […]

   1735, Alexander Pope, “Epistle 4”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume II, London: […] J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC, page 42, lines 59–62

   All night no ruder air perplex ⁠Thy sliding keel, till Phosphor, bright ⁠As our pure love, thro’ early light Shall glimmer on the dewy decks.

   1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto IX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC

9. intransitivebusinessTo decrease in amount or value.

   The stock market slid yesterday after major stocks released weak quarterly results.

   Synonyms: slip

10. entertainmentTo smoothly pass from one note to another by bending the pitch upwards or downwards.
11. regionalTo ride down snowy hills upon a toboggan or similar object for recreation.

    Tom and his mates discussed some plan for a few minutes and then Tom sang out: "Who'll go sliding? There's a big bob-sled in the barn and we fixed it up yesterday morning.[…]"

    1913, Alice B. Emerson, Ruth Fielding at Snow Camp, Or, Lost in the Backwoods

    1 more example

    "They're awful mean not to have taken us slidin' with them," declared Sammy, sitting on the front step and making no effort to continue the work of snow man building. "I love to slide," repeated Dot, sadly.

    1919, Grace Brooks Hill, The Corner House Girls Snowbound

    Synonyms: toboggan, sled

12. intransitiveslangTo go; to move from one place or to another.

    "Gotta slide, this is my stop [on the train]."

    1999, Paolo Hewitt, Heaven's Promise, page 12

    1 more example

    "Baby what are you doing why are you putting your clothes back on?" "Somebody robbd my nigga I gotta go!" I tell her. With a saddened face, she says, "What do you mean you gotta go, is he okay?" "I don't know I just know I gotta slide, he's pulling up out here any min."

    2021, Virdez Evans, Actions with Consequences, iUniverse, →ISBN

13. ball gamesTo kick so that the ball slides along the ground with little or no turning.

    1 more example

    England captain Harry Kane missed a great chance to give them the lead shortly after the break but it did not prove costly as Raheem Sterling crowned a smooth move involving Declan Rice, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount to slide home his 16th goal in his past 24 international appearance after 55 minutes.

    2021 September 2, Phil McNulty, “Hungary 0-4 England”, in BBC

plural slides

1. An item of play equipment that children can climb up and then slide down again.

   The long, red slide was great fun for the kids.

   Synonyms: slippery dip, slippery slide, slippery dip

2. A surface of ice, snow, butter, etc. on which someone can slide for amusement or as a practical joke.

   skimming over the ice[…]It was a good long slide, and there was something in the motion which Mr. Pickwick, who was very cold with standing still, could not help envying.

   1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, “How the Pickwickians Made and Cultivated the Acquaintance of a Couple of Nice Young Men Belonging to One of the Liberal Professions; How They Disported Themselves on the Ice; and How Their Visit Came to a Conclusion”, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC, page 312

3. The falling of large amounts of rubble, earth and stones down the slope of a hill or mountain; avalanche.

   The slide closed the highway.

4. An inclined plane on which heavy bodies slide by the force of gravity, especially one constructed on a mountainside for conveying logs by sliding them down.

   Synonyms: chute

5. A mechanism, or portion of one, consisting of a part which slides on or against a guide.

   On many semiautomatic pistols, the barrel is beneath the slide.

   Synonyms: runner

6. The act of sliding; smooth, even passage or progress.

   a slide on the ice

   3 more examples

   Certainly Kings, that haue Able men of their Nobility, ſhall finde eaſe in imploying them; And a better Slide into their Buſineſſe: For People naturally bend to them, as borne in ſome ſort to Command.

   1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Nobility. XIIII.”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC, page 75

   Conceptually, this cognitive slide from social to biological was facilitated by the rhetoric of eugenics, which acknowledged few distinctions between the two.

   2006, Matt Wray, Not Quite White, page 170

   But for West Brom it was further evidence they are struggling to arrest a slide down the table where they are now three points above the relegation zone after their sixth loss in seven league matches.

   2011 January 23, Alistair Magowan, “Blackburn 2 - 0 West Brom”, in BBC

7. A lever that can be moved in two directions.
8. Synonym of slider (“movable part of a zip fastener that opens or closes the row of teeth”).

   Synonyms: slider

9. A valve that works by sliding, such as in a trombone.
10. artsA transparent plate bearing an image to be projected to a screen.

    Please hire a vendor to put these boxfuls of slides under a scanner and convert them all to digital images.

11. broadlycomputingA page of a computer presentation package such as PowerPoint.

    I still need to prepare some slides for my presentation tomorrow.

12. sciencesIn full microscope slide: a flat, usually rectangular piece of glass or similar material on which a prepared sample may be viewed through a microscope.
13. ball gamesThe act of dropping down and skidding into a base
14. entertainmentA hand-held device made of smooth, hard material, used in the practice of slide guitar.
15. IrishtraditionaldanceA lively dance from County Kerry, in 12/8 time.
16. geographyA small dislocation in beds of rock along a line of fissure.
17. entertainmentA grace consisting of two or more small notes moving by conjoint degrees, and leading to a principal note either above or below.
18. human sciencesA sound which, by a gradual change in the position of the vocal organs, passes imperceptibly into another sound.
19. A clasp or brooch for a belt, etc.
20. AustraliainformalRemovable rank insignia worn on epaulettes of army uniform.

    The previous year, on November 30, 2023, Mr Brereton was pictured wearing what is known as "pollies" or polyester 'general duty dress', in which he is seen putting new rank slides on an officer's shoulder.

    2025 April 27, Olivia Caisley, “Anti-corruption watchdog boss Paul Brereton's defence links spark concerns”, in ABC News, Australian Broadcasting Corporation

21. A pocket in one's pants (trousers).

    with ten dollars in his slide

22. footwearA sandal that is backless and open-toed.
23. medicineA voluntary stutter used as a technique to control stuttering in one's speech.
24. slangvulgarA promiscuous woman, slut.