Chapter 61

The slippery god will try to loose his hold.

Dryden.

4. Liable to slip; not standing firm. Shak.

5. Unstable; changeable; mutable; uncertain; inconstant; fickle. "The slippery state of kings." Denham.

6. Uncertain in effect. L'Estrange.

7. Wanton; unchaste; loose in morals. Shak.

Slippery elm. (Bot.) (a) An American tree (Ulmus fulva) with a mucilagenous and slightly aromatic inner bark which is sometimes used medicinally; also, the inner bark itself. (b) A malvaceous shrub (Fremontia Californica); -- so called on the Pacific coast.

Slip"pi*ness (?), n. Slipperiness. [R.] "The slippiness of the way." Sir W. Scott.

Slip"py (?), a. [AS. slipeg.] Slippery.

Slip"shod` (?), a. 1. Wearing shoes or slippers down at the heel.

The shivering urchin bending as he goes, With slipshod heels.

Cowper.

2. Figuratively: Careless in dress, manners, style, etc.; slovenly; shuffling; as, slipshod manners; a slipshod or loose style of writing.

Thy wit shall ne'er go slipshod.

Shak.

Slip"shoe` (?), n. A slipper. Halliwell.

Slip"skin` (?), a. Evasive. [Obs.] Milton.

Slip"slop` (?), n. [A reduplication of slop.] Weak, poor, or flat liquor; weak, profitless discourse or writing.

Slip"string` (?), n. One who has shaken off restraint; a prodigal. [Obs.] Cotgrave.

Slip"thrift` (?), n. A spendthrift. [Obs.]

Slish (?), n. [A corruption of slash.] A cut; as, slish and slash. [Colloq.] Shak.

Slit (?), obs. 3d. pers. sing. pres. of Slide. Chaucer.

Slit (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slit or Slitted (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Slitting.] [OE. slitten, fr. sliten, AS. sttan to tear; akin to D. slijten to wear out, G. schleissen to slit, split, OHG. slzan to split, tear, wear out, Icel. stta to break, tear, wear out, Sw. slita, Dan. slide. Cf. Eclat, Slate, n., Slice.] 1. To cut lengthwise; to cut into long pieces or strips; as, to slit iron bars into nail rods; to slit leather into straps.

2. To cut or make a long fissure in or upon; as, to slit the ear or the nose.

3. To cut; to sever; to divide. [Obs.]

And slits the thin-spun life.

Milton.

Slit, n. [AS. slite.] A long cut; a narrow opening; as, a slit in the ear.

Gill slit. (Anat.) See Gill opening, under Gill.

Slith"er (?), v. i. [Cf. G. schlittern, LG. schliddern. See Slide.] To slide; to glide. [Prov. Eng.]

Slit"-shell" (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any species of Pleurotomaria, a genus of beautiful, pearly, spiral gastropod shells having a deep slit in the outer lip. Many fossil species are known, and a few living ones are found in deep water in tropical seas.

Slit"ter (?), n. One who, or that which, slits.

Slit"ting (?), a. & n. from Slit.

Slitting file. See Illust. (i) of File. -- Slitting mill. (a) A mill where iron bars or plates are slit into narrow strips, as nail rods, and the like. (b) A machine used by lapidaries for slicing stones, usually by means of a revolving disk, called a slicer, supplied with diamond powder. -- Slitting roller, one of a pair of rollers furnished with ribs entering between similar ribs in the other roller, and cutting like shears, -- used in slitting metals.

Slive (?), v. i. [Cf. Slip.] To sneak. [Prov. Eng.]

Slive, v. t. [OE. sliven to split, cleave, AS. slfan.] To cut; to split; to separate. [Obs.] Holland.

Sliv"er (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slivered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slivering.] [See Slive, v. t.] To cut or divide into long, thin pieces, or into very small pieces; to cut or rend lengthwise; to slit; as, to sliver wood. Shak.

They 'll sliver thee like a turnip.

Sir W. Scott.

Sliv"er, n. 1. A long piece cut ot rent off; a sharp, slender fragment; a splinter.

2. A strand, or slender roll, of cotton or other fiber in a loose, untwisted state, produced by a carding machine and ready for the roving or slubbing which preceeds spinning.

3. pl. Bait made of pieces of small fish. Cf. Kibblings. [Local, U.S.] Bartlett.

Sloak"an (?), n. (Bot.) A species of seaweed. [Spelled also slowcawn.] See 3d Laver.

Sloam (?), n. (Mining) A layer of earth between coal seams.

Sloat (?), n. [See Slot a bar.] A narrow piece of timber which holds together large pieces; a slat; as, the sloats of a cart.

Slob"ber (?), v. t. & i. See Slabber.

Slob"ber, n. 1. See Slabber.

2. (Zoöl.) A jellyfish. [Prov. Eng.]

3. pl. (Vet.) Salivation.

Slob"ber*er (?), n. 1. One who slobbers.

2. A slovenly farmer; a jobbing tailor. [Prov. Eng.]

Slob"ber*y (?), a. Wet; sloppy, as land. Shak.

{ Slock (?), Slock"en (?), } v. t. To quench; to allay; to slake. See Slake. [Obs. or Scot.]

Slock"ing, a. & n. from Slock.

Slocking stone, a rich piece of ore displayed in order to tempt persons to embark in a mining enterprise.

Sloe (?), n. [OE. slo, AS. sl; akin to D. slee, G. schlehe, OHG. sl$ha, Dan. slaaen, Sw. sl&?;n, perhaps originally, that which blunts the teeth, or sets them on edge (cf. Slow); cf. Lith. sliwa a plum, Russ. sliva.] (Bot.) A small, bitter, wild European plum, the fruit of the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa); also, the tree itself.

Slo"gan (?), n. [Gael. sluagh- ghairm, i.e., an army cry; sluagh army + gairm a call, calling.] The war cry, or gathering word, of a Highland clan in Scotland; hence, any rallying cry. Sir W. Scott.

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Slog"gy (?), a. Sluggish. [Obs.]

Somnolence that is sloggy slumbering

Chaucer.

Sloke (?), n. (Bot.) See Sloakan.

{ Sloo (?), or Slue (?) }, n. A slough; a run or wet place. See 2d Slough, 2.

Sloom (?), n. Slumber. [Prov. Eng.]

Sloom"y (?), a. Sluggish; slow. [Prov. Eng.]

Sloop (?), n.[D. sloep, of uncertain origin. Cf. Shallop.] (Naut.) A vessel having one mast and fore-and-aft rig, consisting of a boom-and-gaff mainsail, jibs, staysail, and gaff topsail. The typical sloop has a fixed bowsprit, topmast, and standing rigging, while those of a cutter are capable of being readily shifted. The sloop usually carries a centerboard, and depends for stability upon breadth of beam rather than depth of keel. The two types have rapidly approximated since 1880. One radical distinction is that a slop may carry a centerboard. See Cutter, and Illustration in Appendix.

Sloop of war, formerly, a vessel of war rigged either as a ship, brig, or schooner, and mounting from ten to thirty-two guns; now, any war vessel larger than a gunboat, and carrying guns on one deck only.

Slop (?), n. [OE. sloppe a pool; akin to As. sloppe, slyppe, the sloppy droppings of a cow; cf. AS. sl&?;pan to slip, and E. slip, v.i. Cf. Cowslip.] 1. Water or other liquid carelessly spilled or thrown aboyt, as upon a table or a floor; a puddle; a soiled spot.

2. Mean and weak drink or liquid food; -- usually in the plural.

3. pl. Dirty water; water in which anything has been washed or rinsed; water from wash-bowls, etc.

Slop basin, or Slop bowl, a basin or bowl for holding slops, especially for receiving the rinsings of tea or coffee cups at the table. -- Slop molding (Brickmaking), a process of manufacture in which the brick is carried to the drying ground in a wet mold instead of on a pallet.

Slop, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slopped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slopping.] 1. To cause to overflow, as a liquid, by the motion of the vessel containing it; to spill.

2. To spill liquid upon; to soil with a liquid spilled.

Slop, v. i. To overflow or be spilled as a liquid, by the motion of the vessel containing it; -- often with over.

Slop, n. [AS. slop a frock or over-garment, fr. sl&?;pan to slip, to slide; akin to Icel sloppr a thin garment; cf. OHG. slouf a garment. Cf. Slip, v. i.] 1. Any kind of outer garment made of linen or cotton, as a night dress, or a smock frock. [Obs.] Halliwell.

2. A loose lower garment; loose breeches; chiefly used in the plural. "A pair of slops." Sir P. Sidney.

There's a French salutation to your French slop.

Shak.

3. pl. Ready-made clothes; also, among seamen, clothing, bedding, and other furnishings.

Slope (?), n. [Formed (like abode fr. abide) from OE. slipen. See Slip, v. i.] 1. An oblique direction; a line or direction including from a horizontal line or direction; also, sometimes, an inclination, as of one line or surface to another.

2. Any ground whose surface forms an angle with the plane of the horizon.

buildings the summit and slope of a hill.

Macaulay.

Under the slopes of Pisgah.

Deut. iv. 49. (Rev. Ver.).

A slope, considered as descending, is a declivity; considered as ascending, an acclivity.

Slope of a plane (Geom.), the direction of the plane; as, parallel planes have the same slope.

Slope, a. Sloping. "Down the slope hills." Milton.

A bank not steep, but gently slope.

Bacon.

Slope, adv. In a sloping manner. [Obs.] Milton.

Slope, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sloped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sloping.] To form with a slope; to give an oblique or slanting direction to; to direct obliquely; to incline; to slant; as, to slope the ground in a garden; to slope a piece of cloth in cutting a garment.

Slope, v. i. 1. To take an oblique direction; to be at an angle with the plane of the horizon; to incline; as, the ground slopes.

2. To depart; to disappear suddenly. [Slang]

Slope"ness, n. State of being slope. Sir H. Wotton.

Slope"wise` (?), adv. Obliquely. [Obs.] Carew.

Slop"ing, a. Inclining or inclined from the plane of the horizon, or from a horizontal or other right line; oblique; declivous; slanting. -- Slop"ing*ly, adv.

The sloping land recedes into the clouds.

Cowper.

Slop"pi*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being sloppy; muddiness.

Slop"py (?), a. [Compar. Sloppier (?); superl. Sloppiest.] [From Slop.] Wet, so as to spatter easily; wet, as with something slopped over; muddy; plashy; as, a sloppy place, walk, road.

Slop"sell`er (?), n. One who sells slops, or ready-made clothes. See 4th Slop, 3.

Slop"shop` (?), n. A shop where slops. or ready-made clothes, are sold.

Slop"work` (?), n. The manufacture of slops, or cheap ready-made clothing; also, such clothing; hence, hasty, slovenly work of any kind.

No slopwork ever dropped from his [Carlyle's] pen.

Froude.

Slop"y (?), a. Sloping; inclined.

{ Slosh (?), Slosh"y (?) }. See Slush, Slushy.

Slot (?), n. [LG. & D. slot a lock, from a verb meaning to close., to shut, D. sluiten; akin to G. schliessen, OHG. sliozan, OFries. sl&?;ta, and probably to L. claudere. Cf. Close, Sluice.] 1. A broad, flat, wooden bar; a slat or sloat.

2. A bolt or bar for fastening a door. [Prov. Eng.]

3. A narrow depression, perforation, or aperture; esp., one for the reception of a piece fitting or sliding in it.

Slot (?), v. t. [See Slot a bar.] To shut with violence; to slam; as, to slot a door. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Slot, n. [Cf. Icel. sl&?;&?;, and E. sleuth.] The track of a deer; hence, a track of any kind. Milton.

As a bloodhound follows the slot of a hurt deer.

Sir W. Scott.

Sloth (?), n. [OE. slouthe, sleuthe, AS. sl&?;w&?;, fr. slw slow. See Slow.] 1. Slowness; tardiness.

These cardinals trifle with me; I abhor This dilatory sloth and tricks of Rome.

Shak.

2. Disinclination to action or labor; sluggishness; laziness; idleness.

[They] change their course to pleasure, ease, and sloth.

Milton.

Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears.

Franklin.

3. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of arboreal edentates constituting the family Bradypodidæ, and the suborder Tardigrada. They have long exserted limbs and long prehensile claws. Both jaws are furnished with teeth (see Illust. of Edentata), and the ears and tail are rudimentary. They inhabit South and Central America and Mexico.

The three-toed sloths belong to the genera Bradypus and Arctopithecus, of which several species have been described. They have three toes on each foot. The best-known species are collared sloth (Bradypus tridactylus), and the ai (Arctopitheus ai). The two-toed sloths, consisting the genus Cholopus, have two toes on each fore foot and three on each hind foot. The best-known is the unau (Cholopus didactylus) of South America. See Unau. Another species (C. Hoffmanni) inhabits Central America. Various large extinct terrestrial edentates, such as Megatherium and Mylodon, are often called sloths.

Australian, or Native sloth (Zoöl.), the koala. -- Sloth animalcule (Zoöl.), a tardigrade. -- Sloth bear (Zoöl.), a black or brown long-haired bear (Melursus ursinus, or labiatus), native of India and Ceylon; -- called also aswail, labiated bear, and jungle bear. It is easily tamed and can be taught many tricks. -- Sloth monkey (Zoöl.), a loris.

Sloth, v. i. To be idle. [Obs.] Gower.

Sloth"ful (?), a. Addicted to sloth; inactive; sluggish; lazy; indolent; idle.

He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

Prov. xviii. 9.

-- Sloth"ful*ly, adv. -- Sloth"ful*ness, n.

Sloth"hound` (?), n. [See Slot a track, and cf. Sleuthhound.] (Zoöl.) See Sleuthhound.

Slot"ted (?), a. Having a slot.

Slot"ting (?), n. The act or process of making slots, or mortises.

Slouch (?), n. [Cf. Icel. sl&?;kra slouching felloew, and E. slack, slug, a lazy fellow.] 1. A hanging down of the head; a drooping attitude; a limp appearance; an ungainly, clownish gait; a sidewise depression or hanging down, as of a hat brim.

2. An awkward, heavy, clownish fellow. [Colloq.]

Slouth hat, a soft, limp hat of unstiffened cloth or felt.

Slouch, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slouched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slouching.] 1. To droop, as the head.

2. To walk in a clumsy, lazy manner. [Colloq.]

Slouch, v. t. To cause to hang down; to depress at the side; as, to slouth the hat.

Slouch"ing, a. Hanging down at the side; limp; drooping; without firmness or shapeliness; moving in an ungainly manner.

Slouch"y (?), a. Slouching. [Colloq.]

Slough (?), a. Slow. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Slough (?), n. [OE. slogh, slough, AS. slh a hollow place; cf. MHG. slch an abyss, gullet, G. schlucken to swallow; also Gael. & Ir. sloc a pit, pool. ditch, Ir. slug to swallow. Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to hiccough, to sob.] 1. A place of deep mud or mire; a hole full of mire. Chaucer.

He's here stuck in a slough.

Milton.

2. [Pronounced sl.] A wet place; a swale; a side channel or inlet from a river. [In this sense local or provincial; also spelt sloo, and slue.]

Slough grass (Bot.), a name in the Mississippi valley for grasses of the genus Muhlenbergia; -- called also drop seed, and nimble Will.

Slough, obs. imp. of Slee, to slay. Slew. Chaucer.

Slough (?), n. [OE. slugh, slouh; cf. MHG. sl&?;ch the skin of a serpent, G. schlauch a skin, a leather bag or bottle.] 1. The skin, commonly the cast-off skin, of a serpent or of some similar animal.

2. (Med.) The dead mass separating from a foul sore; the dead part which separates from the living tissue in mortification.

Slough, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sloughed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sloughing.] (Med.) To form a slough; to separate in the form of dead matter from the living tissues; -- often used with off, or away; as, a sloughing ulcer; the dead tissues slough off slowly.

Slough, v. t. To cast off; to discard as refuse.

New tint the plumage of the birds, And slough decay from grazing herds.

Emerson.

Slough"ing (?), n. (Zoöl.) The act of casting off the skin or shell, as do insects and crustaceans; ecdysis.

Slough"y (?), a. Full of sloughs, miry.

Slough"y (?), a. Resembling, or of the nature of, a slough, or the dead matter which separates from living flesh.

Slov"en (?), n. [D. slaf careless, negligent, a sloven; akin to LG. sluf slovenly.] A man or boy habitually negligent of neathess and order; -- the correlative term to slattern, or slut. Pope.

He became a confirmed sloven.

Macaulay.

Slov"en*li*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being slovenly.

Slov"en*ly, a. 1. Having the habits of a sloven; negligent of neatness and order, especially in dress.

A slovenly, lazy fellow, lolling at his ease.

L'Estrange.

2. Characteristic of a sloven; lacking neatness and order; evincing negligence; as, slovenly dress.

Slov"en*ly, adv. a slovenly manner.

Slov"en*ness, n. Slovenliness. [Obs.] Fuller.

Slov"en*ry (?), n. Slovenliness. [Obs.] Shak.

Slow (sl), obs. imp. of Slee, to slay. Slew. Chaucer.

Slow (sl), a. [Compar. Slower (?); superl. Slowest.] [OE. slow, slaw, AS. slw; akin to OS. slu blunt, dull, D. sleeuw, slee, sour, OHG. slo blunt, dull, Icel. slr, slær, Dan. slöv, Sw. slö. Cf. Sloe, and Sloth.] 1. Moving a short space in a relatively long time; not swift; not quick in motion; not rapid; moderate; deliberate; as, a slow stream; a slow motion.

2. Not happening in a short time; gradual; late.

These changes in the heavens, though slow, produced Like change on sea and land, sidereal blast.

Milton.

3. Not ready; not prompt or quick; dilatory; sluggish; as, slow of speech, and slow of tongue.

Fixed on defense, the Trojans are not slow To guard their shore from an expected foe.

Dryden.

4. Not hasty; not precipitate; acting with deliberation; tardy; inactive.

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding.

Prov. xiv. 29.

5. Behind in time; indicating a time earlier than the true time; as, the clock or watch is slow.

6. Not advancing or improving rapidly; as, the slow growth of arts and sciences.

7. Heavy in wit; not alert, prompt, or spirited; wearisome; dull. [Colloq.] Dickens. Thackeray.

Slow is often used in the formation of compounds for the most part self-explaining; as, slow-gaited, slow- paced, slow-sighted, slow-winged, and the like.

Slow coach, a slow person. See def.7, above. [Colloq.] -- Slow lemur, or Slow loris (Zoöl.), an East Indian nocturnal lemurine animal (Nycticebus tardigradus) about the size of a small cat; -- so called from its slow and deliberate movements. It has very large round eyes and is without a tail. Called also bashful Billy. -- Slow match. See under Match.

Syn. -- Dilatory; late; lingering; tardy; sluggish; dull; inactive. -- Slow, Tardy, Dilatory. Slow is the wider term, denoting either a want of rapid motion or inertness of intellect. Dilatory signifies a proneness to defer, a habit of delaying the performance of what we know must be done. Tardy denotes the habit of being behind hand; as, tardy in making up one's acounts.

Slow, adv. Slowly.

Let him have time to mark how slow time goes In time of sorrow.

Shak.

Slow, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slowed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slowing.] To render slow; to slacken the speed of; to retard; to delay; as, to slow a steamer. Shak.

Slow, v. i. To go slower; -- often with up; as, the train slowed up before crossing the bridge.

Slow, n. A moth. [Obs.] Rom. of R.

Slow"back` (?), n. A lubber; an idle fellow; a loiterer. [Old Slang] Dr. Favour.

Slowh (?), obs. imp. of Slee,to slay. Chaucer.

Slow"hound` (?), n. A sleuthhound. [R.]

Slow"ly, adv. In a slow manner; moderately; not rapidly; not early; not rashly; not readly; tardly.

Slow"ness, n. The quality or state of being slow.

Slows (?), n. (Med.) Milk sickness.

Slow"-wit`ted (?), a. Dull of apprehension; not possessing quick intelligence.

Slow"worm` (?), n. [AS. slwyrm; the first part is probably akin to sleán to strike, the reptile being supposed to be very poisonous. See Slay, v. t., and Worm.] (Zoöl.) A lecertilian reptile; the blindworm.

Slub (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] A roll of wool slightly twisted; a rove; -- called also slubbing.

Slub, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slubbed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slubbing.] To draw out and twist slightly; -- said of slivers of wool.

Slub"ber (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slubbered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slubbering.] [Cf. Dan. slubbreto swallow, to sup up, D. slobberen to lap, to slabber. Cf. Slabber.] 1. To do lazily, imperfectly, or coarsely.

Slubber not business for my sake.

Shak.

2. To daub; to stain; to cover carelessly.

There is no art that hath more . . . slubbered with aphorisming pedantry than the art of policy.

Milton.

Slub"ber, n. A slubbing machine.

Slub"ber*de*gul`lion (?), n. [Slubber + Prov. E. gullion a wretch.] A mean, dirty wretch. [Low]

Slub"ber*ing*ly, adv. In a slovenly, or hurried and imperfect, manner. [Low] Drayton.

Slub"bing (?), a. & n. from Slub.

Slubbing billy, or Slubbing machine, the machine by which slubs are formed.

Sludge (?), n. [CF. Slush.] 1. Mud; mire; soft mud; slush. Mortimer. Tennyson.

2. Small floating pieces of ice, or masses of saturated snow. Kane.

3. (Mining) See Slime, 4.

Sludge hole, the hand-hole, or manhole, in a steam boiler, by means of which sediment can be removed.

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Slud"ger (slj"r), n. A bucket for removing mud from a bored hole; a sand pump.

Slud"y (?), a. Miry; slushy.

Slue (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slued (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Sluing (&?;).] [Prov. E. slew to turn round, Scot. to lean or incline to a side; cf. Icel. sn&?;a to turn, bend.] [Written also slew.] 1. (Naut.) To turn about a fixed point, usually the center or axis, as a spar or piece of timber; to turn; -- used also of any heavy body.

2. In general, to turn about; to twist; -- often used reflexively and followed by round. [Colloq.]

They laughed, and slued themselves round.

Dickens.

Slue, v. i. To turn about; to turn from the course; to slip or slide and turn from an expected or desired course; -- often followed by round.

Slue, n. See Sloough, 2. [Local]

Slug (?), n. [OE. slugge slothful, sluggen to be slothful; cf. LG. slukk low- spirited, sad, E. slack, slouch, D. slak, slek, a snail.] 1. A drone; a slow, lazy fellow; a sluggard. Shak.

2. A hindrance; an obstruction. [Obs.] Bacon.

3. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of terrestrial pulmonate mollusks belonging to Limax and several related genera, in which the shell is either small and concealed in the mantle, or altogether wanting. They are closely allied to the land snails.

4. (Zoöl.) Any smooth, soft larva of a sawfly or moth which creeps like a mollusk; as, the pear slug; rose slug.

5. A ship that sails slowly. [Obs.] Halliwell.

His rendezvous for his fleet, and for all slugs to come to, should be between Calais and Dover.

Pepys.

6. [Perhaps a different word.] An irregularly shaped piece of metal, used as a missile for a gun.

7. (Print.) A thick strip of metal less than type high, and as long as the width of a column or a page, -- used in spacing out pages and to separate display lines, etc.

Sea slug. (Zoöl.) (a) Any nudibranch mollusk. (b) A holothurian. -- Slug caterpillar. Same as Slugworm.

Slug, v. i. To move slowly; to lie idle. [Obs.]

To slug in sloth and sensual delight.

Spenser.

Slug, v. t. To make sluggish. [Obs.] Milton.

Slug, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slugged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slugging (?).] 1. To load with a slug or slugs; as, to slug a gun.

2. To strike heavily. [Cant or Slang]

Slug, v. i. To become reduced in diameter, or changed in shape, by passing from a larger to a smaller part of the bore of the barrel; -- said of a bullet when fired from a gun, pistol, or other firearm.

Slug"a*bed` (?), n. One who indulges in lying abed; a sluggard. [R.] "Fie, you slugabed!" Shak.

Slug"gard (?), n. [Slug + - ard.] A person habitually lazy, idle, and inactive; a drone.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

Prov. vi. 6.

Slug"gard, a. Sluggish; lazy. Dryden.

Slug"gard*ize (?), v. t. To make lazy. [R.] Shak.

Slug"gard*y (?), n. [OE. sloggardye.] The state of being a sluggard; sluggishness; sloth. Gower.

Idleness is rotten sluggardy.

Chaucer.

Slug"ger (?), n. One who strikes heavy blows; hence, a boxer; a prize fighter. [Cant or Slang]

Slug"gish (?), a. 1. Habitually idle and lazy; slothful; dull; inactive; as, a sluggish man.

2. Slow; having little motion; as, a sluggish stream.

3. Having no power to move one's self or itself; inert.

Matter, being impotent, sluggish, and inactive, hath no power to stir or move itself.

Woodward.

And the sluggish land slumbers in utter neglect.

Longfellow.

4. Characteristic of a sluggard; dull; stupid; tame; simple. [R.] "So sluggish a conceit." Milton.

Syn. -- Inert; idle; lazy; slothful; indolent; dronish; slow; dull; drowsy; inactive. See Inert.

-- Slug"gish*ly, adv. -- Slug"gish*ness, n.