slab

1 of 3

noun

ˈslab 

1

: a thick plate or slice (as of stone, wood, or bread): such as

a

: the outside piece cut from a log in squaring it

b

: concrete pavement (as of a road)

specifically : a strip of concrete pavement laid as a single unjointed piece

c(1)

: a flat rectangular architectural element that is usually formed of a single piece or mass

a concrete foundation slab

(2)

: a rectangular building having little width with respect to its length and usually height

2

: something that resembles a slab (as in size, shape, or density)

backed up by a solid slab of reference material

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

3

: a hard plastic holder for a collectible coin and an identifying insert

slablike

ˈslab-ˌlīk 

adjective

slab

2 of 3

verb

slabbed; slabbing

transitive verb

1

a

: to remove an outer slab from

slab a log

b

: to divide or form into slabs

2

: to cover or support (something, such as a roadbed or roof) with slabs

3

: to put on thickly

slab

3 of 3

adjective

dialectal, chiefly England

: thick, viscous

Examples of slab in a Sentence

Noun

a thick slab of homemade bread

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The final one, mordantly titled Two Dead Guys, showed a pair of cadavers lying on a slab, all executed in marble. —Glenn Adamson, ARTnews.com, 16 Dec. 2024

Inside the minimalist slab with the big volume knob on front is a 270-degree speaker array for 60W of convincing, room filling sound. —Brad Moon, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024

Verb

The replica is made of limestone slabs up to 19 feet tall and weighing 20 tons each. —Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 13 Mar. 2024

After snapping a few pictures in the fading light and then caping and slabbing off the sheep’s haunches and other edible meat, there was very little daylight left. —Jim Carmichel, Outdoor Life, 25 July 2024

Adjective

Everything’s made in-house, from the 12 rotating ice cream flavors, including a peanut butter, bacon and banana flavor made with chopped bacon, to cupcakes, slab pies, muffins and coffee cakes. —Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 14 July 2022

Somehow, the Grand Wagoneer's slab-sided body makes 22-inch wheels look tiny. —Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 15 June 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English slabbe

Adjective

akin to Middle English slabben to wallow, obsolete Danish slab muck

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1605, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing slab

• slab-sided

Kids Definition

slab

noun

ˈslab

: a thick flat piece or slice (as of stone, wood, or bread)