WordGarden.ioslug
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /slˈʌɡ/
US
- /ˈsləɡ/
Meanings
Noun
a small soft-bodied mollusk like a snail without an obvious shell
a single solid projectile fired from a shotgun or similar firearm
a short identifying label used for a webpage URL or draft story
Verb
to hit someone hard
Beyond the definition
You probably know a slug as that slimy, shell-less relative of the snail that chews on garden leaves. But "slug" is not just about garden pests. It can also mean to hit with a lot of force, like a boxer landing a hard punch. In another setting, you might take a "slug" of a cold drink, meaning a big gulp. If you work with websites or news stories, a "slug" can also be a short piece of text used to identify a story or form part of a web address. It is a word that stretches from the garden to the internet.
The most familiar meaning of "slug" conjures up images of a slow-moving, slimy mollusk—a creature related to snails but lacking a shell. These garden visitors are notorious for their appetite for leaves and vegetables! "The gardener was dismayed to find slugs feasting on her prize-winning hostas." Because they move so slowly, we also use the adjective "sluggish" to describe anything lacking energy or speed.
However, "slug" has a surprisingly wide range of meanings. As a verb, it means to strike forcefully, often with the fist. As a noun, it can mean that heavy blow: "The fighter landed a slug that sent his opponent reeling." This sense of weight and force also appears in ballistics, where a "slug" is a heavy, solid projectile, usually fired from a shotgun.
In the world of communication, "slug" has a specialized history. Originally, in the days of metal printing, a "slug" was a solid line of type cast as a single piece of metal. While that technology has faded, the term lives on in journalism and web development. Today, a "slug" is a short, descriptive string of text used to identify an article or the specific part of a URL that follows the domain name (e.g., /how-to-define-slug).
Finally, the word has a colloquial side. If you take a "slug" of soda or whiskey, you are taking a large swallow. Whether you are talking about a garden pest, a strong punch, a shotgun round, or a bit of text in a URL, "slug" is a flexible word with roots in nature, printing, and everyday speech.
Examples
- 1
Garden animal
After the rain, slugs were crawling across the garden path.
- 2
Garden pest
I found a slug eating the lettuce in my vegetable bed.
- 3
Physical attack
The man in the crowd suddenly slugged the guard in the face.
- Patternslug + person
hit that person hard
- 4
Intense competition
The two teams slugged it out until the final minute.
- Phraseslug it out
fight or compete very hard for a long time
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Lazy insult
He spent the whole weekend on the couch like a lazy slug.
- Phraselazy slug
a very lazy person
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- slugnounverb
Forms
- slugspluralnounverb
- slugging-ing formverbnoun
- sluggedpast tenseverbnoun