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slither

 - 3 dictionary results

slith⋅er

  [slith-er]
Use slither in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to slide down or along a surface, esp. unsteadily, from side to side, or with some friction or noise: The box slithered down the chute.
2. to go or walk with a sliding motion: The snake slithered across the path.
–verb (used with object)
3. to cause to slither or slide.
–noun
4. a slithering movement; slide.
Origin:
1150–1200; ME slitheren, var. of sliddren, OE slid(e)rian, freq. of slīdan to slide; see -er 6

Related forms:
slith⋅er⋅y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To slither
slith·er   (slĭth'ər)   
v.   slith·ered, slith·er·ing, slith·ers

v.   intr.

  1. To glide or slide like a reptile. See Synonyms at slide.

  2. To walk with a sliding or shuffling gait.

  3. To slip and slide, as on a loose or uneven surface.

v.   tr.
To cause to slither.
n.  A slithering movement or gait.

[Middle English slethren, variant of sliddren, from Old English slidrian, frequentative of slīdan, to slide.]
slith'er·y adj.
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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Word Origin & History

slither 
O.E. slidrian "to slide on a loose slope," a frequentative form of slidan "to slide" (see slide). Meaning "to walk in a sliding manner" is attested from 1848. In ref. to reptile motion, attested from 1839.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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