slalom

1 of 2

noun

sla·​lom ˈslä-ləm 

often attributive

1

: skiing in a zigzag or wavy course between upright obstacles (such as flags)

2

: a timed race (as on skis or in an automobile or kayak) over a winding or zigzag course past a series of flags or markers

broadly : movement over a zigzag route

slalom

2 of 2

verb

slalomed; slaloming; slaloms

intransitive verb

: to move over a zigzag course in or as if in a slalom

Synonyms

Verb

• weave
• duck

Examples of slalom in a Sentence

Verb

slalomed through the crowd with the ease of an Olympic skier

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Men’s slalom: 10 a.m. first run, 1 p.m. second run March 27 (no live TV) Which Americans qualified for Sun Valley? WOMEN Downhill: Breezy Johnson, Lauren Macuga, Lindsey Vonn, Jacqueline Wiles. —Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 20 Mar. 2025

Two weeks later, Shiffrin was back in the slalom gates. —Pat Graham, The Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2025

Verb

The 25-year-old dropped deep to receive the ball from Brentford’s centre-backs, slalomed in between midfielders and threaded intricate passes behind the opposition’s defence. —Jay Harris, New York Times, 11 July 2025

That’s not entirely uncommon in college golf, but the programs at TCU had a few more logistical challenges to slalom than the norm. —Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Norwegian slalåm, literally, sloping track

First Known Use

Noun

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1932, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing slalom

• giant slalom

Rhymes for slalom

• collum
• column
• sholom
• solemn

Kids Definition

slalom

noun

sla·​lom

ˈsläl-əm

1

: skiing in a zigzag or wavy course between upright poles

2

: a timed skiing race over such a course