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slime

 - 7 dictionary results

slime

  [slahym] noun, verb, slimed, slim⋅ing.
Use slime in a Sentence
–noun
1. thin, glutinous mud.
2. any ropy or viscous liquid matter, esp. of a foul kind.
3. a viscous secretion of animal or vegetable origin.
4. Also called slime⋅ball [slahym-bawl] . Slang. a repulsive or despicable person.
–verb (used with object)
5. to cover or smear with or as if with slime.
6. to remove slime from, as fish for canning.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME slyme, OE slīm; c. D slijm, G Schleim, ON slīm
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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slime   (slīm)   
n.  

  1. A thick sticky slippery substance.

  2. Biology A mucous substance secreted by certain animals, such as catfishes and slugs.

  3. Soft moist earth; mud.

  4. A slurry containing very fine particulate matter.

  5. Vile or disgusting matter.

  6. Slang A despicable or repulsive person.

tr.v.   slimed, slim·ing, slimes

  1. To smear with slime.

  2. To remove slime from (fish to be canned, for example).


[Middle English, from Old English slīm; see lei- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
slime

  1. n.
    a worthless person; a low and wretched person. : What a slime that guy is!
  2. n.
    degrading matters; corrupt people or situations. : I don't want to be involved in slime like that.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

slime 
O.E. slim "slime," from P.Gmc. *slimaz (cf. O.N. slim, O.Fris. slym, Du. slijm, Ger. Schleim "slime"), probably related to O.E. lim "sticky substance," from PIE base *(s)lei- "slime, slimy, sticky, slippery" (cf. Rus. slimak "snail;" O.C.S. slina "spittle;" O.Ir. sligim "to smear;" Welsh llyfn "smooth;" Gk. leimax "snail," limne "marsh, pool, lake;" L. limus "slime, mud, mire," linere "to daub, besmear, rub out, erase;" see lime (1)). The verb meaning "to cover with slime" is recorded from 1628. The figurative sense of slimy as "morally repulsive" is first attested 1575.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
slime   (slīm)  Pronunciation Key 
A slippery or sticky mucous substance secreted by certain animals, such as slugs or snails.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Bible Dictionary

Slime

(Gen. 11:3; LXX., "asphalt;" R.V. marg., "bitumen"). The vale of Siddim was full of slime pits (14:10). Jochebed daubed the "ark of bulrushes" with slime (Ex. 2:3). (See PITCH.)

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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Encyclopedia

slime

viscous fluid that moistens, lubricates, and protects many of the passages of the digestive and respiratory tracts in the body. Mucus is composed of water, epithelial (surface) cells, dead leukocytes, mucin, and inorganic salts. Mucus is produced by mucous cells, which are frequently clustered into small glands located on the mucous membrane that lines virtually the entire digestive tract. Large numbers of mucous cells occur in the mouth, where mucus is used both to moisten food and to keep the oral membranes moist while they are in direct contact with the air. Mucus in the nose helps to trap dust, bacteria, and other small inhaled particles. The stomach also has large numbers of mucous cells. Gastric mucus forms a layer about one millimetre thick that lines the stomach, protecting the organ from highly acidic gastric juice and preventing the juice from digesting the stomach itself.

Learn more about slime with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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