slash

noun

1

: the act of slashing

also : a long cut or stroke made by or as if by slashing

2

: an ornamental slit in a garment

3

a

: an open tract in a forest strewn with debris (as from logging)

b

: the debris in such a tract

4

: a mark / used typically to denote "or" (as in and/or), "and or" (as in straggler/deserter), or "per" (as in feet/second)

called also diagonal, slant, solidus, virgule

5

or slash fiction : a genre of fan fiction which features a romantic pairing of two usually male fictional characters who are not romantically connected in the original work of fiction

If women are the prime producers of the stuff, one would imagine that slash would be as full of male-female fantasies as male-male fantasies, but that's not the case.

—Owen Smith

Here's a sampling of Harry Potter slash, taken from a novella called "Irresistible Poison," about a budding romance between Harry and his archenemy Draco Malfoy.

—Christopher Noxon

I don't know whether Moody has read Kirk/Spock slash fiction, either, but I bet he's heard of it …

—Elizabeth Hand

Synonyms of slash

• slit
• tear

Examples of slash in a Sentence

made a slash in the fabric with a knife

Recent Examples on the Web

To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). —Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

In an interview with Fox & Friends, Obadiah recalled the stabbing which left him with a large slash on his cheek and lip. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026

The victim, a man in his 40s, was in serious condition in a local hospital after sustaining serious slash wounds to his face, eyes, neck and back, the police said. —CBS News, 9 June 2026

Ultimate dream slash best case scenario. —ABC News, 8 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing slash

• slash-and-burn
• slash at
• slash line
• slash pine
• slash pocket

Rhymes for slash

• ash
• bash
• brash
• cache
• cash
• clash
• crash
• dash
• flash
• gash
• hash
• lash

Kids Definition

slash

1 of 2 verb

ˈslash 

1

: to cut by sweeping and pointless blows

2

: to whip or strike with or as if with a cane

3

: to criticize without mercy

4

: to cut slits in (as a skirt) to reveal a different color or material

5

: to reduce sharply : cut

slash prices

slasher noun

slash

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act of slashing

also : a long cut or stroke made by slashing

2

: an ornamental slit in a garment

3

: a mark / used to mean "or" (as in and/or), "and or" (as in bottles/cans), or "per" (as in kilometers/hour)