slide

1 of 2

verb

slid ˈslid How to pronounce slide (audio) ; sliding ˈslī-diŋ How to pronounce slide (audio)

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)
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
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

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 turnkey home’s serene interiors were inspired by Balinese design, and every room prioritizes a seamless connection with the outdoors through floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and windows. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024 Reckitt fell 2% and Unilever dipped 0.4% in London, while Estee Lauder slid 1.3% and Taro tumbled 2.4% at the close in New York. Anna Edney, Fortune Well, 6 Mar. 2024 With 13 laps left, Blaney slid in front of Logano and the two battled just before a caution. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 3 Mar. 2024 Gómez turned provider for RSL’s third goal just before halftime when his cross into the box found Chico Arango, who slid along the snow-laden grass and guided the ball into the net. Issy Ronald, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 But if the fear of sliding down a slippery slope is so great, then other important medical decisions would never have been approached, such as allowing hospice patients to have very large amounts of morphine at their homes. Linda Marie Thayer, Twin Cities, 3 Mar. 2024 Plus, the removable inner bucket keeps bags from sliding down and its sleek appearance will go with different aesthetics. Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Lopez slid his feet with Edwards, removing any remote thought of hitting the cutting star. Brian Sampson, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 After going public through a special purpose acquisition company last February, the stock slid to an all-time low near $2 in January. William Gavin, Quartz, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Holiday World 2024 rides The park has 49 rides and slides, including the new Good Gravy family roller coaster. Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024 The brand offers a series of high-quality and sustainable pieces, from rockers to slides to climbing triangles and more. Hannah Chubb, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 The slides do have height requirements and weight limits. Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 28 Feb. 2024 According to the mother of two, the slide was a huge hit with her son for his second birthday. Christine Luff, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024 While Copilot’s image generation for slides was usually related, sometimes its interpretation was too literal. Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024 Provide some ideas for starting my presentation with a bang, including attention-grabbing opening slides. Rachel Wells, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Like any public shower, hospital shower floors are gross (and potentially bacteria-covered), so bring a pair of affordable slides with you. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 23 Feb. 2024 Nvidia's wild week, from a stock slide to $2 trillion The AI chipmaker started the week by falling behind Amazon and Google. Quartz Staff, Quartz, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slide.' 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, 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

Time Traveler
The first known use of slide was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near slide

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

slide

1 of 2 verb
slid ˈslid How to pronounce slide (audio) ; sliding ˈslīd-iŋ How to pronounce slide (audio)
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
: a flat piece of glass or plastic on which an object is mounted for microscopic examination

More from Merriam-Webster on slide

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!