Main Entry:

¹slough

Pronunciation:

\ˈslü, ˈslau̇; in the US (exc New England) ˈslü is usual for sense 1 with those to whom the sense is familiar; British usually ˈslau̇ for both senses\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English sloughe, slo, from Old English slōh; akin to Middle High German slouche ditch

Date:

before 12th century

1 a: a place of deep mud or mire balso slew or slue \ˈslü\ (1): swamp (2): an inlet on a river ; also : backwater (3): a creek in a marsh or tide flat2: a state of moral degradation or spiritual dejection

— sloughy \-ē\ adjective