slaɪd v. & n. --v. (past
and past part. slid) 1 a intr.
move along a
smooth surface with continuous contact on
the same part of the
thing moving (cf. ROLL). b tr.
cause to do
this (slide the
drawer into place). 2 intr. move quietly;
glide; go smoothly along. 3 intr. pass gradually or imperceptibly. 4 intr. glide
over ice on
one or
both feet without skates (under
gravity or with
momentum got by running). 5 intr. (foll. by over)
barely touch upon (a
delicate subject etc.). 6 intr. & tr. (often foll. by into) move or cause to move quietly or unobtrusively (slid
his hand into mine). 7 intr.
take its own course (let it slide). --n. 1 a the
act or an
instance of sliding. b a
rapid decline. 2 an inclined plane down
which children, goods,
etc., slide; a chute. 3 a a track
made by or
for sliding,
esp. on ice. b a
slope prepared with
snow or ice for tobogganing. 4 a part of a
machine or
instrument that slides, esp. a slide-valve. 5 a a thing slid into
place, esp. a
piece of
glass holding an
object for a
microscope. b a mounted
transparency usu. placed in a
projector for
viewing on a
screen. 6
Brit. = hair-slide. 7 a part or parts of a machine on or
between which a sliding part works. ølet things slide be negligent;
allow deterioration. slide fastener US a zip-fastener. slide-rule a
ruler with a sliding
central strip, graduated logarithmically for
making rapid calculations, esp.
multiplication and
division. slide-valve a sliding piece that opens and closes an
aperture by sliding
across it. sliding
door a door
drawn across an aperture on a slide,
not turning on hinges. sliding keel Naut. a
centreboard. sliding
roof a part of a roof (esp. in a
motor car) made
able to slide and so
form an aperture. sliding scale a scale of fees, taxes, wages, etc., that varies as a
whole in
accordance with
variation of
some standard. sliding
seat a seat able to slide to and
fro on runners etc., esp. in a racing-boat to
adjust the
length of a
stroke. øøslidable adj. slidably adv. slider n. [OE slidan]
