Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense sloughs, present participle sloughing, past tense, past participle sloughed
verb
When a plant sloughs its leaves, or an animal such as a snake sloughs its skin, the leaves or skin come off naturally.
All reptiles have to slough their skin to grow. [VERB noun]
The lemon geranium sloughs dry brown leaves at the base of its branches. [VERB noun]
[Also VERB]
Slough off means the same as slough.
Our bodies slough off dead cells. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
Phrasal verbs:
See slough off
slough in British English1
(slaʊ)
noun
1.
a hollow filled with mud; bog
2. (sluː) US and Canadian
a.
(in the prairies) a large hole where water collects or the water in such a hole
b.
(in the northwest) a sluggish side channel of a river
c.
(on the Pacific coast) a marshy saltwater inlet
3.
despair or degradation
Derived forms
sloughy (ˈsloughy)
adjective
Word origin
Old English slōh; related to Middle High German sluoche ditch, Swedish slaga swamp
slough in British English2
(slʌf)
noun
1.
any outer covering that is shed, such as the dead outer layer of the skin of a snake, the cellular debris in a wound, etc
2. Also: sluff bridge
a discarded card
verb
3. (often foll by off)
to shed (a skin, etc) or (of a skin, etc) to be shed
4. Also: sluff bridge
to discard (a card or cards)
Derived forms
sloughy (ˈsloughy)
adjective
Word origin
C13: of Germanic origin; compare Middle Low German slū husk, German Schlauch hose, Norwegian slō fleshy part of a horn
Slough in British English
(slaʊ)
noun
1.
an industrial town in SE central England, in Slough unitary authority, Berkshire; food products, high-tech industries. Pop: 126 276 (2001)
2.
a unitary authority in SE central England, in Berkshire. Pop: 118 800 (2003 est).Area: 28 sq km (11 sq miles)
slough in American English1
(slʌf)
noun
1.
the skin of a snake, esp. the outer layer that is periodically cast off
2.
any castoff layer, covering, etc.
often used figuratively
3. Medicine
a mass of dead tissue in, or separating from, living tissue or an ulceration
verb intransitive
4.
a.
to be shed, cast off, or discarded; come off
b.
to drop off; become fewer or less
5.
to shed skin or other covering
6. Medicine
to separate from the surrounding tissue
said of dead tissue
verb transitive
7.
to shed or throw (off) as or like slough; get rid of
8. Bridge
to get rid of (a card); discard
Idioms:
slough over
Derived forms
sloughy (ˈsloughy)
adjective
Word origin
ME slouh, akin to Ger schlauch, a skin, bag < IE base *sleu-, to glide, slip > Latvian sl'užât, to slide
slough in American English2
(slaʊ; for 4 slu)
noun
1.
a place, as a hollow, full of soft, deep mud
2.
deep, hopeless dejection or discouragement
3.
moral degradation
4.
a swamp, bog, or marsh, esp. one that is part of an inlet or backwater
Derived forms
sloughy (ˈsloughy)
adjective
Word origin
ME slowe < OE sloh, akin to MLowG slōch, swamp < IE base *sklēk, wet > slack3; (sense 2) after Slough of Despond, a deep swamp in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress
Examples of 'slough' in a sentence
slough
How did this afternoon become so wonderful, she asked herself, when a couple of hours ago I was in the slough of despond?
Richard Francis PROSPECT HILL (2003)
In other languages
slough
British English: slough VERB
When a plant sloughs its leaves, or an animal such as a snake sloughs its skin, the leaves or skin come off naturally.
All reptiles have to slough their skin to grow.
American English: slough
Brazilian Portuguese: trocar de pele ou de folhagem
Chinese: 蜕皮
European Spanish: mudar
French: perdre
German: abstreifen
Italian: mutare
Japanese: 脱皮する
Korean: 허물을 벗다
European Portuguese: trocar de pele ou de folhagem