slat|ted /slæ t I d/ ADJ Something that is slatted is made with slats. □ …slatted window blinds.
slaugh|ter /slɔː tə r / (slaughters , slaughtering , slaughtered )
1 VERB [usu passive] If large numbers of people or animals are slaughtered , they are killed in a way that is cruel or unnecessary. □ [be V -ed] Thirty four people were slaughtered while queuing up to cast their votes. ● N‑UNCOUNT Slaughter is also a noun. □ [+ of ] …a war where the slaughter of civilians was commonplace.
2 VERB To slaughter animals such as cows and sheep means to kill them for their meat. □ [V n] Lack of chicken feed means that chicken farms are having to slaughter their stock. ● N‑UNCOUNT Slaughter is also a noun. □ More than 491,000 sheep were exported for slaughter last year.
slaughter|house /slɔː tə r haʊs/ (slaughterhouses ) N‑COUNT A slaughterhouse is a place where animals are killed for their meat.
Slav /slɑː v/ (Slavs ) N‑COUNT A Slav is a member of any of the peoples of Eastern Europe who speak a Slavonic language.
slave /sle I v/ (slaves , slaving , slaved )
1 N‑COUNT A slave is someone who is the property of another person and has to work for that person. □ The state of Liberia was formed a century and a half ago by freed slaves from the United States.
2 N‑COUNT You can describe someone as a slave when they are completely under the control of another person or of a powerful influence. □ [+ to ] Movie stars used to be slaves to the studio system.
3 VERB If you say that a person is slaving over something or is slaving for someone, you mean that they are working very hard. □ [V + over ] When you're busy all day the last thing you want to do is spend hours slaving over a hot stove. [Also V , V prep] ● PHRASAL VERB Slave away means the same as slave . □ [V P ] He stares at the hundreds of workers slaving away in the intense sun.
▸ slave away → see slave 3
sla ve la |bour in AM, use slave labor 1 N‑UNCOUNT Slave labour refers to slaves or to work done by slaves. □ The children were used as slave labour in gold mines in the jungle.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If people work very hard for long hours for very little money, you can refer to it as slave labour . [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He's been forced into slave labour at burger bars to earn a bit of cash.
slav|er /slæ və r / (slavers , slavering , slavered ) VERB If an animal slavers , liquid comes from its mouth, for example because it is about to attack and eat something. □ [V ] Mad guard dogs slavered at the end of their chains. □ [V -ing] …the wolf's slavering jaws.
slav|ery /sle I vəri/ N‑UNCOUNT Slavery is the system by which people are owned by other people as slaves. □ My people have survived 400 years of slavery.
sla ve trade N‑SING The slave trade is the buying and selling of slaves, especially Black Africans, from the 16th to the 19th centuries. □ …profits from the slave trade.
Slav|ic /slæ v I k, slɑː v-/ ADJ Something that is Slavic belongs or relates to Slavs. □ …Americans of Slavic descent.
slav|ish /sle I v I ʃ/ ADJ You use slavish to describe things that copy or imitate something exactly, without any attempt to be original. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ She herself insists she is no slavish follower of fashion. ● slav|ish|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ Your camera can be as useful as a sketchbook, but don't slavishly copy your photographs.
Sla|von|ic /sləvɒ n I k/ ADJ Something that is Slavonic relates to East European languages such as Russian, Czech, and Serbo-Croat, or to the people who speak them. □ The Ukrainians speak a Slavonic language similar to Russian.
slaw /slɔː / N‑UNCOUNT Slaw is a salad of chopped raw carrot, onions, cabbage and other vegetables in mayonnaise. [mainly AM ] in BRIT, usually use coleslaw
slay /sle I / (slays , slaying , slew , slayed , slain )
1 VERB If someone slays an animal, they kill it in a violent way. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] …the hill where St George slew the dragon.
2 V-PASSIVE If someone has been slain , they have been murdered. [mainly AM ] □ [be V -ed] Two Australian tourists were slain.
slay|ing /sle I I ŋ/ (slayings ) N‑COUNT A slaying is a murder. [mainly AM ] □ …a trail of motiveless slayings. in BRIT, usually use killing
sleaze /sliː z/ N‑UNCOUNT You use sleaze to describe activities that you consider immoral, dishonest, or not respectable, especially in politics, business, journalism, or entertainment. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ They have made it easy for Sven to fill his expensive boots while allowing an atmosphere of sleaze to develop.
slea|zy /sliː zi/ (sleazier , sleaziest )
1 ADJ If you describe a place as sleazy , you dislike it because it looks dirty and badly cared for, and not respectable. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …sleazy bars.
2 ADJ If you describe something or someone as sleazy , you disapprove of them because you think they are not respectable and are rather disgusting. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ The accusations are making the government's conduct appear increasingly sleazy.