slab

1 of 3

noun

1
: a thick plate or slice (as of stone, wood, or bread): such as
a
: the outside piece cut from a log in squaring it
b
: concrete pavement (as of a road)
specifically : a strip of concrete pavement laid as a single unjointed piece
c(1)
: a flat rectangular architectural element that is usually formed of a single piece or mass
a concrete foundation slab
(2)
: a rectangular building having little width with respect to its length and usually height
2
: something that resembles a slab (as in size, shape, or density)
backed up by a solid slab of reference materialThe Times Literary Supplement (London)
3
: a hard plastic holder for a collectible coin and an identifying insert
slablike adjective

slab

2 of 3

verb

slabbed; slabbing

transitive verb

1
a
: to remove an outer slab from
slab a log
b
: to divide or form into slabs
2
: to cover or support (something, such as a roadbed or roof) with slabs
3
: to put on thickly

slab

3 of 3

adjective

dialectal, chiefly England

Examples of slab in a Sentence

Noun a thick slab of homemade bread
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The slab revealed so much awfulness, later confirmed through forensic anthropology: the bones of a girl, lying in the fetal position, hands and feet bound together by an extension cord also wrapped around her neck. Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024 Have a helper curve and hold the slabs so the ends meet, creating a ring (see page 59). Jan Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2024
Verb
The replica is made of limestone slabs up to 19 feet tall and weighing 20 tons each. Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 13 Mar. 2024 After snapping a few pictures in the fading light and then caping and slabbing off the sheep’s haunches and other edible meat, there was very little daylight left. Jim Carmichel, Outdoor Life, 25 July 2024
Adjective
Everything’s made in-house, from the 12 rotating ice cream flavors, including a peanut butter, bacon and banana flavor made with chopped bacon, to cupcakes, slab pies, muffins and coffee cakes. Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 14 July 2022 Somehow, the Grand Wagoneer's slab-sided body makes 22-inch wheels look tiny. Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 15 June 2022 See all Example Sentences for slab 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English slabbe

Adjective

akin to Middle English slabben to wallow, obsolete Danish slab muck

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slab was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near slab

Cite this Entry

“Slab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slab. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

slab

noun
ˈslab
: a thick flat piece or slice (as of stone, wood, or bread)

More from Merriam-Webster on slab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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