1303
slang
sky-div-ing /'skaɪˌdaɪvɪŋ/ n [U] the sport of jumping from
an aircraft and making movements while falling before open-
ing a PARACHUTE —diver n
Skye /skaɪ/ also the Isle of Skye an island off the
northwest coast of Scotland. It is the largest island of the
INNER HEBRIDES, has many mountains, and is regarded as a
very beautiful and romantic place. It is also known because of
an old popular song called The Skye Boat Song which contains
the words ‘over the sea to Skye’. Before a bridge was built
across the sea to Skye in the 1990s, the island could only be
reached by boat, but the bridge has caused a lot of protest,
because it costs a lot to use it. → see also BONNIE PRINCE
CHARLIE
sky-er /'skaɪə/ n (in cricket) a ball hit high into the air
sky-high adv, adj infml very high, especially unacceptably
high; at or to a very high level: Prices have gone sky-high. |
sky-high interest rates → see also blow something sky-high
(BLOW)
sky-jack /'skaɪdʒæk/ v [T] to HIJACK (an aircraft) —er n
—ing n [C;U]
Sky-lab /'skaɪlæb/ the first American space station, in 1973.
ASTRONAUTS were sent up to do scientific tests and other
work in space. The space station burnt up in 1979 when it
came back into the Earth’s ATMOSPHERE.
sky-lark¹ /'skaɪlɑːk||'laːrk/ n a small bird (LARK) that sings
while flying upwards
skylark² v [I;(ABOUT)] old-fash infml to play rather wildly; have fun;
LARK about
sky-light /'skaɪlaɪt/ n a glass-covered opening in a roof to let
in light
sky-line /'skaɪlaɪn/ n a shape or view made by scenery,
especially tall city buildings, against the background of the
sky: the dramatic New York skyline
'sky marshal also air marshal n a specially trained person
who carries a gun and whose job is to protect passenger
planes from attacks by TERRORISTS (=people who use vio-
lence to obtain political demands). In December 2003 the US
ordered foreign AIRLINES (=companies who operate passenger
planes) to carry sky marshals on all planes flying to and
from the US, but many people believe that the presence of
sky marshals makes flights more dangerous.
sky-rock-et¹ /'skaɪˌrɒkɪt||'rɑː-/ v [I] infml (especially of a
price, amount etc) to go up suddenly and steeply
skyrocket² n a ROCKET
sky-scrap-er /'skaɪˌskrepə/ n a very tall modern city
building
'Sky Tower a TOWER in Auckland, New Zealand, that is the
tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere. It is part of the
Sky City CASINO and is 328 metres tall.
Sky TV /ˌskaɪ tiː ˈviː/ also Sky, BskyB a television com-
pany owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, which
operates several different television CHANNELS that broadcast
programmes in the UK. For example, there is a news channel,
three sports channels, and three channels showing films. In
order to receive its programmes, you have to pay money to
Sky and have a SATELLITE DISH on your house. Many new
films and many of the most important sports events are
shown only on Sky.
Sky-walk-er, Luke /'skaɪwɔːkə/ one of the main charac-
ters in the STAR WARS films, who leads the fight against the
evil EMPIRE and DARTH VADER, who is in fact Luke’s father
sky-writ-ing /'skaɪˌraɪtɪŋ/ n [U] the act of using special
smoke released from an aircraft to write words in the sky:
Skywriting is often used by advertisers to reach people at the
beaches during the summer.
slab /slæb/ n 1 [C(of)] a thick flat usually four-sided piece (of
stone, metal, wood, food etc): The patio was made of stone
slabs. | a slab of cake 2 [the S] infml the table top, often made
of stone, on which a dead body is laid in a hospital or
MORTUARY
slack¹ /slæk/ adj 1 (of a rope, wire etc) not pulled tight →
opposite TAUT 2 not firm in keeping control; LAX: slack
discipline/supervision 3 not busy or active; SLUGGISH: Win-
ter is the slack season at most hotels. | Business is slack just
now. 4 not taking proper care or effort; NEGLIGENT: You’ve
been very slack in your work recently. —ly adv —ness n [U]
slack² v [I] derog to be lazy; not work well or quickly enough:
Stop slacking and get on with your work: —er n
slack off/up phr v [I] to reduce speed, effort, or tightness;
slacken: It’s natural to slack off towards the end of a hard
day’s work.
slack³ n [U] the part of a rope, wire etc, that hangs loose: The
sailors pulled at the rope to take up the slack. (=make it
tighter)
slack⁴ n [U] coal in very small pieces
slack-en /'slækən/ v [I;T(OFF)] to make or become slack;
reduce in activity, force etc, or in tightness: The train
slackened speed/Our speed slackened as we approached the
station. | The demand for coal begins to slacken (off) in the
spring. | Slacken the tent ropes before it rains. → compare
TIGHTEN
'slack-jawed adj having your mouth slightly open, espe-
cially because you are surprised or stupid: They looked at
him, slack-jawed with disbelief. → compare OPEN-MOUTHED
slacks /slæks/ n [P] 1 infml, especially AmE trousers: a shirt and
slacks | dress/corduroy slacks → see PAIR (USAGE)
Slacks is used in American English, especially in
speech, where British people usually use trousers. For
most American speakers the difference between jeans
and slacks is that jeans have the back pockets sewn on,
and slacks have back pockets on the inside. Slacks are
suitable for more formal occasions than jeans.
2 BrE old-fash a woman’s trousers for informal wear
slag¹ /slæg/ n 1 [U] lighter glasslike waste material left when
metal is separated from its natural rock 2 [C] BrE derog slang a
woman or girl whose sexual behaviour is regarded as unac-
ceptable, e.g. because she has had sexual relationships with
too many men, or with a man whom she hardly knew
slag² v -gg-
slag sbdy./sthg. ↔ off phr v [T] BrE slang to make extremely
unfavourable remarks about; CRITICIZE: He claims to like her,
but he’s always slagging her off behind her back.
slag-heap /'slæghiːp/ n especially BrE a pile of slag at a mine,
factory etc
slain /sleɪn/ past participle of SLAY
slake /sleɪk/ v [T] lit to satisfy (thirst) with a drink; QUENCH
sla-lom /'slɑːləm/ n a race for people on SKIs or in CANOES
down a winding course marked out by flags
slam¹ /slæm/ v -mm- 1 [I;T] to shut loudly and with force:
He stormed out, and the door slammed (shut) behind him. |
Please don’t slam the door. 2 [T+obj+adv/prep] infml to push,
move, place etc, hurriedly and with great force: She slammed
on the brakes (=worked them very quickly and strongly) and
the car came to a stop. | He slammed the papers down on my
desk and angrily walked out. 3 [T] (used in newspapers) to
attack with words: The paper’s headline was ‘Minister slams
Local Government spending’. 4 slam the door (in some-
one’s face/on someone) to refuse rudely to meet someone,
accept an offer etc: We offered to negotiate, but they slammed
the door in our face(s).
slam² n [S] the act or loud noise of a door closing violently
→ see also GRAND SLAM
'slam dunk v [I;T] (in BASKETBALL) to DUNK (throw) a ball
through the basket using a lot of force: And Abdul-Jabbar
runs down the floor and slam dunks! —slam dunk n: a pass
to Jordan for a slam dunk
slam-mer /'slæmə/ n slang a prison: He was thrown in the
slammer.
slan-der¹ /'slɑːndə||'slæn-/ n 1 [C] an intentional false
spoken report, story etc, which unfairly damages the good
opinion held about a person by others 2 [U] the making of
such a statement, especially as an offence in law: The
company is suing her for slander because of her remarks
about their safety record. → compare LIBEL
slander² v [T] to speak slander against; harm by making a
false statement: He claims he was slandered at the meeting.
slan-der-ous /'slɑːndərəs||'slæn-/ adj being or containing
slander: a slanderous allegation —ly adv
slang¹ /slæŋ/ n [U] very informal language that includes new
and sometimes not polite words and meanings, is often used