slash

Meaning

Noun

1. A slashing action or motion:
2. A slashing action or motion:
3. (figuratively) A slashing action or motion:
4. A mark made by slashing:
5. A mark made by slashing:
6. Something resembling such a mark:
7. (Canada, US) Something resembling such a mark:
8. Something resembling such a mark:
9. (often, proscribed) Something resembling such a mark:
10. (slang, vulgar) Something resembling such a mark:
11. (Canada, US) The loose woody debris remaining from a slash; the trimmings left while preparing felled trees for removal.
12. (slang) Slash fiction; fan fiction focused on homoerotic pairing of fictional characters.

Verb

1. To cut or attempt to cut
2. To cut or attempt to cut
3. To cut or attempt to cut
4. (figuratively) To cut or attempt to cut
5. To cut or attempt to cut
6. (figuratively) To cut or attempt to cut
7. To strike violently and randomly, particularly
8. To strike violently and randomly
9. To move quickly and violently.
10. To crack a whip with a slashing motion.
11. (Canada, US) To clear land, (particularly forestry) with violent action such as logging or brushfires or (agriculture, uncommon) through grazing.
12. (intransitive, slang) To write slash fiction.

Adv

Used to note the sound or action of a slash.

Conj

1. (Canada, US) Used to connect two or more identities in a list.
2. (Canada, US) Used to list alternatives.

Verb

To piss, to urinate.

Verb

To work in wet conditions.

Synonyms

cut

gash

hack

cut off

slice

slit

whip

chop

virgule

wound

solidus

separatrix

stroke

diagonal

lash

curtail

flog

stab

rend

incise

convulse

jactitate

hew

thresh about

cut down

reduce

thresh

forward slash

thrash

toss

thrash about

tear

incision

lop

subtract

strap

take

splinter

count down

skive

slant

split

take away

score

deduct

scratch

seize

cleave

hit

carve

Translations

couper

barra

barre oblique

Schrägstrich

barra

taillader

taglio

faucher

sfregiare

cuchillada

tagliare

slash

barra

afkraken

Pronounced as (IPA)

/slaʃ/

Etymology

Cognate with Scots: slash

Cognate with Old French: esclache

In summary

Late Middle English, originally a verb of uncertain etymology. Perhaps of imitative origin, or possibly from Old French esclachier (“to break in pieces”), a variant of esclater, which is likely a Germanic borrowing, from Frankish *slaitan (“to slit, tear”).
Used in the Wycliffe Bible as slascht (see 1 Kings 5:18) but otherwise unattested until 16th century. Conjunctive use from various applications of the punctuation mark ⟨/⟩. See also slash fiction.