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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

slew.

The act, or process of slewing.

4 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/sl(j)uː//slɪu̯/
  1. The act, or process of slewing.

  2. A device used for slewing.

  3. A change of position.

Where this word comes from

In all senses, a mostly British spelling of slue.

verb/sl(j)uː//slɪu̯/
  1. To rotate or turn something about its axis.

    transitive
  2. To veer a vehicle.

    transitive
  3. To insert extra ticks or skip some ticks of a clock to slowly correct its time.

    transitive
  4. To pivot.

    intransitive
  5. To skid.

    intransitive
  6. To move something (usually a railway line) sideways.

    transitive
    The single line was slewed onto the disused up formation to make way for the future redoubling.
  7. To make a public mockery of someone through insult or wit.

    UK · slang · transitive
Where this word comes from

In all senses, a mostly British spelling of slue.

noun/sl(j)uː//slɪu̯/
  1. A large amount.

    She has a slew of papers and notebooks strewn all over her desk.
  2. A crowd or large number of people.

Where this word comes from

Borrowed from Irish slua (“crowd”) and Scottish Gaelic sluagh (“crowd”), from Middle Irish slúag, from Old Irish slóg, from Proto-Celtic *slougos (“troop, army”), from Proto-Indo-European *slowgʰos, *slowgos (“entourage”).

noun/sluː//sl(j)uː//slɪu̯/
  1. Alternative spelling of slough (“a marshy or swampy place”) (reflecting the alternative pronunciation).

    alt-of · alternative
Where this word comes from

Attested since at least 1708, a North American variant of slough.

verb/sl(j)uː//slɪu̯/
  1. simple past of slay

    form-of · past
Where this word comes from

Ablaut of slay, from Middle English slew, sleugh, past of Middle English sleen. Replaced earlier Middle English slough, slogh, from Old English slōg (past of Old English slēan (“to hit, strike, slay”)), due to the influence of knew, drew, etc. More at slay.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.