slice

verb

ˈslīs 

sliced; slicing

transitive verb

1

: to cut with or as if with a knife

2

: to stir or spread with a slice

3

: to hit (a ball) so that a slice results

4

: interpret, construe

—used in phrases like any way you slice it

intransitive verb

1

: to slice something

2

: to move with a cutting action

the ship sliced through the waves

sliceable

ˈslī-sə-bəl 

adjective

slicer noun

Synonyms of slice

• chop
• split

Examples of slice in a Sentence

She sliced the lemon in half.

He sliced open his finger while cleaning the fish.

The knife sliced through the cake easily.

Recent Examples on the Web

This is because the main enemies in this game look to be large chitinous alien monsters, which your titular Gundam can slice into tiny pieces. —Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026

The longtime firefighter fell while in the water, and the tip of the foil wing sliced his neck, severing his trachea, according to initial reporting on the incident from Hawaii News Now. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026

The best bit with Ghostface involves a smart and hilarious takeoff on The Substance where Cheri Oteri, doing her best Demi Moore, gets sliced open by the masked Scream icon and out comes the Unredacted Epstein Files. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 June 2026

Coming off six hitless innings in his start against the Colorado Rockies last week, Ohtani retired the first 11 Diamondbacks in order before Gabriel Moreno sliced a ground ball between Freddie Freeman and the first-base bag for a two-out double in the fourth inning. —Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sklicen, from Anglo-French esclicer to splinter, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German slīzan to tear apart — more at slit

First Known Use

1551, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing slice

• any way you slice it
• a piece/slice/share of the pie
• a slice of life
• a slice of the cake
• fish slice
• no matter how you slice it
• pre-slice
• slice and dice
• slice off
• slice-of-life

Rhymes for slice

• dice
• feis
• gneiss
• grice
• ice
• lice
• mice
• spice
• splice
• thrice
• trice
• twice

Kids Definition

slice

1 of 2 noun

ˈslīs 

1

a

: a thin flat piece cut from something

a slice of bread

b

: a wedge-shaped piece (as of pie or cake)

2

: the flight of a ball curving to the right when hit by someone right-handed or to the left when hit by someone left-handed

slice

2 of 2 verb

sliced; slicing

1

a

: to cut with or as if with a knife

b

: to cut something into slices

2

: to hit a ball so that a slice results

slicer noun