slough

¹slough

noun \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\

Definition of SLOUGH

1

a : a place of deep mud or mire

b also slew or slue \ˈslü\ (1) : swamp (2) : an inlet on a river; also : backwater (3) : a creek in a marsh or tide flat

2

: a state of moral degradation or spiritual dejection

— sloughy \-ē\ adjective

Origin of SLOUGH

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra

Rhymes with SLOUGH

blue, boo, brew, chew, clew, clue, coo, coup, crew, cue, dew, do, doux, due, ewe, few, flu, flue, fou, glue, gnu, goo, hew, hue, Jew, Koo, lieu, loo, mew, moo, moue, mu, new, nu, ooh, pew, phew, pooh, q, queue, roux, rue, screw, shoe, shoo, shrew, Sioux, skew, slew, slue, smew, sou, sous, spew, sprue, stew, strew, sue, Sue, thew, through, to, too, true, two, u, view, whew, who, woo, xu, yew, you, zoo

²slough

verb

Definition of SLOUGH

transitive verb

: to engulf in a slough

intransitive verb

: to plod through or as if through mud : slog

First Known Use of SLOUGH

1846

Rhymes with SLOUGH

bluff, buff, chough, chuff, cuff, duff, fluff, gruff, guff, huff, luff, muff, puff, rough, ruff, scruff, scuff, snuff, sough, stuff, tough, tuff

³slough

noun \ˈsləf\

Definition of SLOUGH

1

: the cast-off skin of a snake

2

: a mass of dead tissue separating from an ulcer

3

: something that may be shed or cast off

Variants of SLOUGH

slough also sluff

Origin of SLOUGH

Middle English slughe; akin to Middle High German slūch snakeskin

First Known Use: 14th century

⁴slough

verb \ˈsləf\

Definition of SLOUGH

intransitive verb

1

a : to become shed or cast off

b : to cast off one's skin

c : to separate in the form of dead tissue from living tissue

2

: to crumble slowly and fall away

transitive verb

1

: to cast off

2

a : to get rid of or discard as irksome, objectionable, or disadvantageous —usually used with off

b : to dispose of (a losing card in bridge) by discarding

Variants of SLOUGH

slough also sluff

First Known Use of SLOUGH

1720

Slough

geographical name \ˈslau̇\

Definition of SLOUGH

town SE cen England in Berkshire pop 98,600