slime

1 of 2

noun

1
: soft moist earth or clay
especially : viscous mud
2
: a viscous, glutinous, or gelatinous substance: such as
a
: a mucous or mucoid secretion of various animals (such as slugs and catfishes)
b
: a product of wet crushing consisting of ore ground so fine as to pass a 200-mesh screen
3
US, informal : a morally repulsive or odious person

slime

2 of 2

verb

slimed; sliming

transitive verb

1
: to smear or cover with slime
2
: to remove slime from (something, such as fish for canning)

intransitive verb

: to become slimy

Examples of slime in a Sentence

Noun Green slime covers the surface of the pond. She thinks men are slime.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Health inspectors recently closed 58 Degrees and Holding Co. due to violations including cockroaches and slime in the ice machine. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024 With all the new gadgets and gizmos, doink cams and slime, Madden’s beloved telestrator has remained a constant. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 Yes, Nickelodeon, which for the first time brings its kid-centric (but fun for adults) broadcast — along with slime and SpongeBob SquarePants! Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Feb. 2024 Price at time of publication: $6 Indulge a child's sensory play with the gift of slime. Bridget Shirvell, Parents, 18 Nov. 2023 The affordable set includes two bottles of slime activator, one glitter glue, and one translucent-colored glue, which is enough to make two batches of fluffy slime. Maya Polton, Parents, 21 Nov. 2023 Could snail slime and salmon sperm be the next big things in skincare? Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2024 Together for 22 years, the couple share a home in Corona del Mar. But rather than developing a flying car, Gregg is looking at the slime produced by hagfish, the antiseptic qualities of horseshoe crab blood, undersea robots and the potential of a sardine boat almost 90 years old. Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023 Schiller had been through her own challenges and quickly latched onto slime’s sensory benefits for neuro-diverse people. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 10 Jan. 2024
Verb
When the first trailer for the film went viral this year, trolls came out of their caves and slimed it. Brett Weiss, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024 Either way, sliming needs to be included in more awards shows. Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2023 And, naturally, the Left failed our soldiers as well, sliming them as baby-killers and such. Ray Nothstine, National Review, 11 Nov. 2023 The knife is designed to be slimed with blood and guts, with aggressive jimping on the spine. T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, 5 Oct. 2023 The cover art in question is an 11-year-old photo of Halle Berry getting slimed at the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2023 The rapper teased the track with with a photo of Halle Berry getting slimed at the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 16 Sep. 2023 The pair chose a picture of Halle Berry being slimed at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 2012 for the post, giving eager fans a clue to the song’s theme. Vulture, 15 Sep. 2023 The cover of the single features an image of Berry getting slimed at the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019

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

Noun

Middle English, from Old English slīm; akin to Middle High German slīm slime, Latin limus mud — more at lime

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

1628, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near slime

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

slime

noun
ˈslīm
1
: soft moist earth or clay
especially : sticky slippery or sticky mud
2
: a slippery or sticky substance
especially : one that various animals (as slugs or catfishes) secrete onto their skin

More from Merriam-Webster on slime

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