slice

1 of 2

verb

sliced; slicing

transitive verb

1
: to cut with or as if with a knife
2
: to stir or spread with a slice
3
: to hit (a ball) so that a slice results
4
: interpret, construe
used in phrases like any way you slice it

intransitive verb

1
: to slice something
2
: to move with a cutting action
the ship sliced through the waves
sliceable adjective
slicer noun

slice

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a thin flat piece cut from something
b
: a wedge-shaped piece (as of pie or cake)
2
: a spatula for spreading paint or ink
3
: a serving knife with wedge-shaped blade
a fish slice
4
: a flight of a ball that deviates from a straight course in the direction of the dominant hand of the player propelling it
also : a ball following such a course compare hook
5

Examples of slice in a Sentence

Verb She sliced the lemon in half. He sliced open his finger while cleaning the fish. The knife sliced through the cake easily. Noun thin slices of roast beef The Fourth of July parade was a real slice of Americana. He hit a slice into the right rough.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Some people are slicing their shoes apart to walk barefoot in public. USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024 Corbett then sliced through two defenders, met two more at the rim and somehow pulled both arms back with his upper body arched to avoid contact and got off a two-handed shot. Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 Ingredients 2 oz Baileys Chocolate Liqueur 1 oz Don Julio Blanco Tequila 0.5 oz simple syrup 3 fresh strawberries (sliced) 2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters Methods: Add 3-5 strawberries to a cocktail tin and muddle. Jillian Dara, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Ground turkey also stands out as a common filling in Black tacos, though Tipton-Marin’s tostada features sliced and grilled turkey breast. Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024 In one instance, a worker cut his hand while slicing meat and in another a woman who fell on the job. Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2024 The tower, all 190 feet of it, had vanished — its 3,500 pounds of spindly steel beams possibly sliced into pieces and dragged away earlier this month by thieves, the police said. Eduardo Medina, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 On a cutting board, use a chef's knife to slice the head in half through the core. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2024 Scissors gnawed at stems, razors sliced wrapping paper, and water slapped against dozens of empty vases. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
Noun
Ferrari managed the project herself, acquiring the slice of land with crumbling stone walls from a family who had owned it for many years, then merging it with her own property. Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Mauricio’s Pizza sold pies by the slice alongside pasta, breadsticks and salad. The Indianapolis Star, 29 Feb. 2024 Luxurious, comfortable sheet cakes are the moment: a little messy, sold ad hoc by the slice or the cake, made in home kitchens. Annemarie Dooling, USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024 Lastly, the slices are plated with rhodium, which provides a protective layer that wards off corrosion of the iron-rich meteorite. Nancy Olson, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The 1,900-square-feet restaurant specializes in Roman pizza, whole and by the slice, along with sandwiches, fresh juices and soft serve ice cream. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 Research from the small slice of voters who have turned in their ballots so far shows that younger, independent voters are staying on the sidelines. Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024 The crispy slices of thick porky belly are served over a rich peanut kare-kare sauce with mustard greens, Sinamak chili vinegar and light sesame rice crisps. Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Then just cook on high power for about one minute per slice. Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English sklicen, from Anglo-French esclicer to splinter, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German slīzan to tear apart — more at slit

Noun

Middle English sclise, slise, from Anglo-French esclice splinter, from esclicer

First Known Use

Verb

1551, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of slice was in 1551

Dictionary Entries Near slice

Cite this Entry

“Slice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slice. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

slice

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a thin flat piece cut from something
a slice of bread
b
: a wedge-shaped piece (as of pie or cake)
2
: the flight of a ball curving to the right when hit by someone right-handed or to the left when hit by someone left-handed

slice

2 of 2 verb
sliced; slicing
1
a
: to cut with or as if with a knife
b
: to cut something into slices
2
: to hit a ball so that a slice results
slicer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on slice

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