Illustration of slug
- slug 3
1
: sluggard
2
: a lump, disk, or cylinder of material (such as plastic or metal): such as
a(1)
: a musket ball
(2)
: bullet
b
: a piece of metal roughly shaped for subsequent processing
c
: a $50 gold piece
d
: a disk for insertion in a slot machine
especially
: one used illegally instead of a coin
3
: any of numerous chiefly terrestrial pulmonate gastropods (order Stylommatophora) that are found in most parts of the world where there is a reasonable supply of moisture and are closely related to the land snails but are long and wormlike and have only a rudimentary shell often buried in the mantle or entirely absent
4
: a smooth soft larva of a sawfly or moth that creeps like a mollusk
5
a
: a quantity of liquor drunk in one swallow
b
: a detached mass of fluid (such as water vapor or oil) that causes impact (as in a circulating system)
6
a
: a strip of metal thicker than a printer's lead
b
: a line of type cast as one piece
c
: a usually temporary type line serving to instruct or identify
7
: the gravitational unit of mass in the foot-pound-second system to which a pound force can impart an acceleration of one foot per second per second and which is equal to the mass of an object weighing 32 pounds
slugged; slugging
: a heavy blow especially with the fist
slugged; slugging
1
: to strike heavily with or as if with the fist or a bat
2
: fight sense 4b
—usually used in the phrase slug it out
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- couch potato
- deadbeat
- do-nothing
- drone
- idler
- layabout
- lazybones
- loafer
- lotus-eater
- slouch
- slugabed
- sluggard
Noun (2)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Verb (2)
Examples of slug in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Smashing china, falling down the stairs, slugs to the nose, and worse.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2024
However, a Midwest storm pushes a slug of rain our way Friday night and then shoves a wintry chill over us by Sunday, setting the stage for a chance of snow Monday night or Tuesday.
—David Streit, Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2024
The slug pulverized her face, destroyed her cheek and jaw, blew away her eye socket and most of her teeth, damaged her optic nerve, wrecked both eyes and left a gaping hole in her cheek.
—USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
Blue dragons typically live in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, but as southeast winds increase during the spring, the slugs blow ashore with the potential to release dangerous toxins upon unsuspecting beachgoers.
—Josh Feldman, NBC News, 10 Mar. 2024
At Children’s Mercy hospital, doctors removed a slug.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2024
Further Reading Worm that jumps from rats to slugs to human brains has invaded Southeast US
In a short clinical report published in this week's issue, doctors in Tainan City, Taiwan, detail the case of a 64-year-old woman who sought care at an otolaryngology (ENT) clinic.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 25 Oct. 2023
Ralston boosted that initial slug of capital from $125,000 to $500,000 per company, for a 7 percent stake.
—Steven Levy, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2024
Michael Lycklama, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2024
The company is struggling amid a slugging TV ad market and an uphill battle to establish itself in the streaming space with its German VOD offering Joyn.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024
The Dodgers certainly slugged the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, with two punches that turned what would have been a sloppy and dispiriting defeat into a dramatic 5-4 victory at Dodger Stadium.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Teammate Matt Halbach is fourth in batting average (.408) and slugging (.662).
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2024
In the limited sample, Arias slugged four home runs while batting .414/.539/.793, and showed off an advanced approach in the Single-A game at Papago, working his way back from a two-strike count to draw a walk.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024
In 24 games from May 10 to June 10, briefly interrupted by a bruised heel, Conforto slugged eight of his eventual 15 home runs, batting .333 with a 1.045 OPS.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024
In addition to retaining free-agent outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., the club also acquired slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez in a trade with Seattle.
—Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 25 Jan. 2024
In 2002, after Major League Baseball began storing baseballs used at Coors Field in a humidor, Helton’s home run total fell to 30, after slugging 42 and 49 in the previous two seasons.
—Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2024
Noun
After being swallowed by the slug, the algal cells continue to live in its digestive system, their chloroplasts photosynthesizing and producing energy, which is then used by the slug.
—Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Smashing china, falling down the stairs, slugs to the nose, and worse.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2024
However, a Midwest storm pushes a slug of rain our way Friday night and then shoves a wintry chill over us by Sunday, setting the stage for a chance of snow Monday night or Tuesday.
—David Streit, Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2024
The slug pulverized her face, destroyed her cheek and jaw, blew away her eye socket and most of her teeth, damaged her optic nerve, wrecked both eyes and left a gaping hole in her cheek.
—USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
Blue dragons typically live in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, but as southeast winds increase during the spring, the slugs blow ashore with the potential to release dangerous toxins upon unsuspecting beachgoers.
—Josh Feldman, NBC News, 10 Mar. 2024
At Children’s Mercy hospital, doctors removed a slug.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2024
Further Reading Worm that jumps from rats to slugs to human brains has invaded Southeast US
In a short clinical report published in this week's issue, doctors in Tainan City, Taiwan, detail the case of a 64-year-old woman who sought care at an otolaryngology (ENT) clinic.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 25 Oct. 2023
Ralston boosted that initial slug of capital from $125,000 to $500,000 per company, for a 7 percent stake.
—Steven Levy, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2024
Verb
Seth Brown Club: Athletics Position: Outfielder Level: MLB Age: 31
Idaho tie: Lewis-Clark State
The slugger’s power rate slowed down last season as Brown hit 14 home runs and slugged .405, both full-season lows at the MLB level.
—Michael Lycklama, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2024
The company is struggling amid a slugging TV ad market and an uphill battle to establish itself in the streaming space with its German VOD offering Joyn.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024
The Dodgers certainly slugged the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, with two punches that turned what would have been a sloppy and dispiriting defeat into a dramatic 5-4 victory at Dodger Stadium.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Teammate Matt Halbach is fourth in batting average (.408) and slugging (.662).
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2024
In the limited sample, Arias slugged four home runs while batting .414/.539/.793, and showed off an advanced approach in the Single-A game at Papago, working his way back from a two-strike count to draw a walk.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024
In 24 games from May 10 to June 10, briefly interrupted by a bruised heel, Conforto slugged eight of his eventual 15 home runs, batting .333 with a 1.045 OPS.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024
In addition to retaining free-agent outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., the club also acquired slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez in a trade with Seattle.
—Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 25 Jan. 2024
In 2002, after Major League Baseball began storing baseballs used at Coors Field in a humidor, Helton’s home run total fell to 30, after slugging 42 and 49 in the previous two seasons.
—Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English slugge, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect slugga to walk sluggishly
Noun (2)
perhaps from slug to load with slugs
First Known Use
Noun (1)
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (1)
1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (2)
1830, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
circa 1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of slug was
in the 15th century
Phrases Containing slug
Dictionary Entries Near slug
Cite this Entry
“Slug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slug. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
slug
1 of 3 nounslug
2 of 3 noun
: a heavy blow especially with the fist
slug
3 of 3 verb
slugged; slugging
: to strike heavily with or as if with the fist or a bat
Etymology
Noun
Middle English slugge "a lazy person"; of Scandinavian origin
Noun
perhaps from earlier slug (verb) "to load (a weapon) with slugs"
More from Merriam-Webster on slug
Nglish: Translation of slug for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of slug for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about slug
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