slide

1 of 2

verb

ˈslīd 

slid ˈslid  ; sliding ˈslī-diŋ 

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move smoothly along a surface : slip

b

: to coast over snow or ice

c

of a base runner in baseball : to fall or dive feetfirst or headfirst when approaching a base

2

a

: to slip or fall by loss of footing

b

: to change position or become dislocated : shift

3

a

: to slither along the ground : crawl

b

: to stream along : flow

4

a

: to move or pass smoothly or easily

slid into the prepared speech

b

: to pass unnoticed or unremarked

let the criticism slide

5

a

: to pass unobtrusively : steal

b

: to pass by gradations especially downward

the economy slid from recession to depression

transitive verb

1

a

: to cause to glide or slip

b

: to traverse in a sliding manner

2

: to put unobtrusively or stealthily

slid the bill into his hand

slide

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: an act or instance of sliding

b(1)

: a musical grace of two or more small notes

(2)

: portamento

2

: a sliding part or mechanism: such as

a(1)

: a U-shaped section of tube in the trombone that is pushed out and in to produce the tones between the fundamental and its harmonics

(2)

: a short U-shaped section of tube in a brass instrument that is used to adjust the pitch of the instrument or of individual valves

b(1)

: a moving piece (such as the ram of a punch press) that is guided by a part along which it slides

(2)

: a guiding surface (such as a feeding mechanism) along which something slides

c

: sliding seat

d

: a step-in shoe or slipper

3

a

: the descent of a mass of earth, rock, or snow down a hill or mountainside

b

: a dislocation in which one rock mass in a mining lode has slid on another : fault

4

a(1)

: a slippery surface for coasting

(2)

: a chute with a slippery bed down which children slide in play

b

: a channel or track on which something is slid

c

: a sloping trough down which objects are carried by gravity

a log slide

5

a

: a flat piece of glass or plastic on which an object is mounted for microscopic examination

b(1)

: a photographic transparency on a small plate or film mounted for projection

(2)

: an electronic image presented as a part of a series

Kyle Patterson, the city's enterprise data strategist, flashed a series of PowerPoint slides with graphs of percentage growth since 1970.

—Maria L. La Ganga

6

: bottleneck sense 3

Synonyms

Verb

• lurk
• mooch
• mouse
• pussyfoot
• shirk
• skulk
• slink
• slip
• snake
• sneak
• steal

Examples of slide in a Sentence

Verb

The door slides open easily.

The firefighters slid down the pole to their trucks.

He slid the bottle across the table.

Slide your finger along the seam.

She slid the paper under the door.

He slid across the ice.

Cars were slipping and sliding all over the roads during the snowstorm.

Her purse slid out of her hands.

The strap of her dress kept sliding down.

She slid into the booth beside us.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The stock slid as much as 8.9% in early Paris trading to the lowest since 2018. —Angelina Rascouet, Fortune Europe, 24 Apr. 2024

That theory holds that the Earth’s crust is made up of plates floating on the hot mantle, and where those plates converge, sliding over or under each other, major earthquakes strike that can warp and reshape the landscape. —Christian Elliott, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2024

Revenue slid 9%, the largest decline since 2012, for a total of $21 billion in the first quarter, according to an earnings release. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024

Play Video Weak Market Shares of Tianjin Construction Development Group Co., which provides engineering services, slid 39% in their debut in Hong Kong on Tuesday. —Filipe Pacheco, Fortune Asia, 23 Apr. 2024

Good posture and footwork to slide, secure and climb on work-up blocks. —Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024

Devon Toews took away his passing option on a 2-on-1, but Lowry slid the puck through Georgiev’s legs along the ice for Winnipeg’s fourth goal in just 10 shots to that point, 8:57 into the middle period. —Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2024

The transition defense and paint defense also slid, with the Lakers not being crisp with getting back on defense once their shooting started to cool off, leading to 21 Denver fast-break points. —Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 21 Apr. 2024

After Norman flees the scene, Marion slowly slides down the tiled wall and attempts to step out of the shower before dying. —EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024

Noun

With Nolan Souza at the plate, Hess unleashed a wild pitch and Diggs' feet-first slide beat the throw to Hess at the plate to make it 5-0. —Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 13 Apr. 2024

Like tectonic plates in the earthquake that punctuates that California-set chapter, Bonello’s narrative slips and slides, making the very premise on which the movie stands — along with the two main characters — shaky ground indeed. —Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024

This set also comes with some fun accessories like medicine, dog beds, slides, grooming products, and a grooming station. —Alida Nugent, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

The pool will have several amenities, including a family slide, a lily pad bridge, a zero-depth entry ramp, a climbing wall and a vortex, according to a February press release from Louisville Metro. —The Courier-Journal, 10 Apr. 2024

To hear the chime of the hours, quarters and minutes, simply engage the dedicated slide on the side of the case. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024

Made from weather-resistant wood, this playset does require assembly but includes two swings, a slide, and a climbing wall—offering plenty of variety for the little ones. —Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 9 Apr. 2024

The series follows survivors avoiding the slide into human extinction after a plague sweeps the globe. —Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024

The slide for a Glock pistol was found behind the residence by a police dog, authorities said. —Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English slīdan; akin to Middle High German slīten to slide

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing slide

• hair slide
• let (something) slide
• let things slide
• on the slide
• slide fastener
• slide rule
• slide show
• slide valve

Kids Definition

slide

1 of 2 verb

ˈslīd 

slid ˈslid  ; sliding ˈslīd-iŋ 

1

a

: to move or cause to move smoothly along a surface

b

: to coast on snow or ice

c

: to fall or dive feetfirst or headfirst when approaching a base in baseball

2

: to slip and fall by a loss of footing, balance, or support

3

a

: to move or pass smoothly and easily

b

: to move, pass, or put so as not to be noticed

4

: to become worse gradually

slide

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act or motion of sliding

2

: a loosened mass that slides

a rock slide

3

a

: a sloping surface down which a person or thing slides

b

: something (as a cover for an opening) that operates or adjusts by sliding

4

a

: a small transparent picture or image that can be projected on a screen

b

: a small usually rectangular glass or plastic plate used to hold an object to be examined under a microscope

Medical Definition

slide

noun

ˈslīd 

: a flat piece of glass or plastic on which an object is mounted for microscopic examination