slit

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈslit 

: a long narrow cut or opening

slit adjective

a slit skirt [=a skirt with a vertical slit at the hem]

slitless

ˈslit-ləs 

adjective

slit

2 of 4

verb

slit; slitting

transitive verb

1

a

: to make a slit in

b

: to cut off or away : sever

c

: to form into a slit

2

: to cut into long narrow strips

slitter noun

slitter

3 of 4

transitive verb

slit·​ter

ˈslitə(r), 

-itə-

-ed/-ing/-s

: to cut the edge of (a garment) in ornamental slits

slitter

4 of 4

noun (2)

"

plural -s

1

: a slitting machine or device: such as

a

: a thin wheel of bronze or soft steel charged with diamond dust or emery for slitting or sawing precious stones

b

: a rapidly revolving sharpened disk for trimming or cutting a web of paper into narrower rolls

c

: a machine for slitting motion-picture film

2

: an operator of a machine for slitting (as metal, textiles, paper, or plastics)

Synonyms of slit

Noun (1)

• tear
• incision
• slash
• gash

Verb

• slice
• slash
• rip
• cut
• pierce

Examples of slit in a Sentence

Noun (1)

You could see through the slit in the fence.

The skirt has a slit on one side.

a dress with a slit skirt

Verb

I slit the bag open at the top.

The bag of seeds had been slit open.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The straight silhouette looks put-together with minimal effort, while staying easy to move around in thanks to a subtle back slit. — Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026

The design then softly gathered at the waistline with a fluid skirt subtly opening on one side with a high slit to reveal the sheer embroidered lining. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 18 Aug. 2026

Verb

Instead Justine shows up to slit his throat and take the baby from him, leaving him for dead; the child winds up disappearing with Holtz into a hell dimension. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026

In 2014 and 2017, there were very violent protests; people were burned alive, motorcyclists had their throats slit, health centers were set on fire, schools were set on fire. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 30 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Noun (2)

Middle English, from slitten

Verb

Middle English slitten; akin to Middle High German slitzen to slit, Old High German slīzan to tear apart, Old English sciell shell — more at shell

Transitive verb

Middle English sliteren, slitteren, frequentative of slitten to slit

First Known Use

Noun (1)

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing slit

• gill slit
• slit one's wrists
• slit trench

Rhymes for slit

• bit
• brit
• britt
• chit
• fit
• flit
• grit
• hit
• it
• kitt
• knit
• lit

Kids Definition

slit

1 of 2 verb

ˈslit 

slit; slitting

1

a

: to make a slit in : slash

b

: to cut off or away : sever

2

: to cut into long narrow strips

slitter noun

slit

2 of 2 noun

: a long narrow cut or opening

slit adjective

slitless

-ləs

adjective