slide

1 of 2

verb

ˈslīd 

slid ˈslid  ; sliding ˈslī-diŋ 

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move smoothly along a surface : slip

b

: to coast over snow or ice

c

of a base runner in baseball : to fall or dive feetfirst or headfirst when approaching a base

2

a

: to slip or fall by loss of footing

b

: to change position or become dislocated : shift

3

a

: to slither along the ground : crawl

b

: to stream along : flow

4

a

: to move or pass smoothly or easily

slid into the prepared speech

b

: to pass unnoticed or unremarked

let the criticism slide

5

a

: to pass unobtrusively : steal

b

: to pass by gradations especially downward

the economy slid from recession to depression

transitive verb

1

a

: to cause to glide or slip

b

: to traverse in a sliding manner

2

: to put unobtrusively or stealthily

slid the bill into his hand

slide

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: an act or instance of sliding

b(1)

: a musical grace of two or more small notes

(2)

: portamento

2

: a sliding part or mechanism: such as

a(1)

: a U-shaped section of tube in the trombone that is pushed out and in to produce the tones between the fundamental and its harmonics

(2)

: a short U-shaped section of tube in a brass instrument that is used to adjust the pitch of the instrument or of individual valves

b(1)

: a moving piece (such as the ram of a punch press) that is guided by a part along which it slides

(2)

: a guiding surface (such as a feeding mechanism) along which something slides

c

: sliding seat

d

: a step-in shoe or slipper

3

a

: the descent of a mass of earth, rock, or snow down a hill or mountainside

b

: a dislocation in which one rock mass in a mining lode has slid on another : fault

4

a(1)

: a slippery surface for coasting

(2)

: a chute with a slippery bed down which children slide in play

b

: a channel or track on which something is slid

c

: a sloping trough down which objects are carried by gravity

a log slide

5

a

: a flat piece of glass or plastic on which an object is mounted for microscopic examination

b(1)

: a photographic transparency on a small plate or film mounted for projection

(2)

: an electronic image presented as a part of a series

Kyle Patterson, the city's enterprise data strategist, flashed a series of PowerPoint slides with graphs of percentage growth since 1970.

—Maria L. La Ganga

6

: bottleneck sense 3

Synonyms

Verb

• lurk
• mooch
• mouse
• pussyfoot
• shirk
• skulk
• slink
• slip
• snake
• sneak
• steal

Examples of slide in a Sentence

Verb

The door slides open easily.

The firefighters slid down the pole to their trucks.

He slid the bottle across the table.

Slide your finger along the seam.

She slid the paper under the door.

He slid across the ice.

Cars were slipping and sliding all over the roads during the snowstorm.

Her purse slid out of her hands.

The strap of her dress kept sliding down.

She slid into the booth beside us.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Plug Power shares have slipped 34% this year, SolarEdge Technologies shares have tumbled 25% and Enphase Energy shares have slid 8%. —Krystal Hur, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control. —Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024

The Kings could also slide to No. 9 or No. 10 with one or more losses in their last three games. —Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 10 Apr. 2024

Buganda Memory Foam Bath Mat in Black, $6 with coupon $12 $6 The bath mat has a velvet-like microfiber top layer, along with a mesh and rubber back that prevents it from shifting and sliding and from water seeping in. —Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024

The moon slid slowly across the sun Monday afternoon, appearing to devour it whole, as millions of people gasped, cheered and stood in awe beneath a daytime sky turned dark. —Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 8 Apr. 2024

Moments before the Moon slid in front of the Sun, the clouds finally began breaking up. —Rebecca Boyle, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024

The two helipads support the yacht’s long-range cruising capabilities for autonomous exploration, and a retractable hangar means a helicopter can slide neatly into the superstructure for storage when not in use. —Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024

Asked about another crash involving the software, Phatak disputed NTSB’s contention that Autopilot should not have functioned on the road in Florida where driver Jeremy Banner was killed in 2019 when his Tesla barreled into a semi-truck and slid under its trailer. —Trisha Thadani, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024

Noun

With Nolan Souza at the plate, Hess unleashed a wild pitch and Diggs' feet-first slide beat the throw to Hess at the plate to make it 5-0. —Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 13 Apr. 2024

Like tectonic plates in the earthquake that punctuates that California-set chapter, Bonello’s narrative slips and slides, making the very premise on which the movie stands — along with the two main characters — shaky ground indeed. —Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024

This set also comes with some fun accessories like medicine, dog beds, slides, grooming products, and a grooming station. —Alida Nugent, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

The pool will have several amenities, including a family slide, a lily pad bridge, a zero-depth entry ramp, a climbing wall and a vortex, according to a February press release from Louisville Metro. —The Courier-Journal, 10 Apr. 2024

To hear the chime of the hours, quarters and minutes, simply engage the dedicated slide on the side of the case. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024

Made from weather-resistant wood, this playset does require assembly but includes two swings, a slide, and a climbing wall—offering plenty of variety for the little ones. —Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 9 Apr. 2024

The series follows survivors avoiding the slide into human extinction after a plague sweeps the globe. —Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024

The slide for a Glock pistol was found behind the residence by a police dog, authorities said. —Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English slīdan; akin to Middle High German slīten to slide

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing slide

• hair slide
• let (something) slide
• let things slide
• on the slide
• slide fastener
• slide rule
• slide show
• slide valve

Kids Definition

slide

1 of 2 verb

ˈslīd 

slid ˈslid  ; sliding ˈslīd-iŋ 

1

a

: to move or cause to move smoothly along a surface

b

: to coast on snow or ice

c

: to fall or dive feetfirst or headfirst when approaching a base in baseball

2

: to slip and fall by a loss of footing, balance, or support

3

a

: to move or pass smoothly and easily

b

: to move, pass, or put so as not to be noticed

4

: to become worse gradually

slide

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act or motion of sliding

2

: a loosened mass that slides

a rock slide

3

a

: a sloping surface down which a person or thing slides

b

: something (as a cover for an opening) that operates or adjusts by sliding

4

a

: a small transparent picture or image that can be projected on a screen

b

: a small usually rectangular glass or plastic plate used to hold an object to be examined under a microscope

Medical Definition

slide

noun

ˈslīd 

: a flat piece of glass or plastic on which an object is mounted for microscopic examination