Slider (Pseudemys rugosd). 
emptying into the Chesapeake. It attains a length of ten 
or eleven inches, and is used to adulterate terrapin stews. 
3f. pi. Drawers. 
A shirt and sliders. 
Dickenson, God's Protecting Providence (1700). 
Double slider, a slider having two bars, one over and 
the other beneath the coupling-pole ; a sway-bar. Slider 
cut-Off. See cut-off. 
slider 2 !, a. A Middle English form of slidder. 
slide-rail (slid'ral), n. 1. A contrivance for 
switching cars, consisting of a platform on 
wheels running transversely across the tracks, 
and carrying the car, etc., from one line of rails 
to another. 2. A switch-rail. See railway. 
slide-rest (slid'rest), . An appendage to the 
turning-lathe for holding the cutting-tool and 
insuring accuracy in its motion. The slide-rest 
imparts motion to the cutting-tool in two directions, the 
one being parallel and the other at right angles to the 
axis of the lathe. See cut under lathe. 
slide-rod (slid'rod), n. The rod which moves 
the slide-valve in a steam-engine: same as 
Slide-bar. 
der-pump (sll'der-pump), n. A name com- 
mon to several pumps of various forms, but all 
having a piston which revolves continuously 
and forces the water through a pipe by means 
of a slide regulated by a spring, which inter- 
cepts its passage in any other direction. 
slide-rule (slld'rb'l), n. A sliding rule. See slide. 
slide-thriftt (slid'thrift), .. [< slide, v., + obj. 
thrift.'] Same as shovel-board, 1 and 2. 
Logetting in the fields, slide-thrift, or shove-groat, cloyish 
cayles, half-bowl, and coyting. 
Quoted in Blackstone's Com. (ed. Sharswood), II. 171, note e. 
slide-trombone (slld'trom"bon), n. A trom- 
bone with a slide instead of keys. See trom- 
bone. 
slide-trumpet (slid'trum'pet), n. A trumpet 
with a slide instead of keys like those of the 
cornet. See trumpet. 
slide-valve (slid'valv), n. In steam, hydraulic, 
and pneumatic engineering, a valve which slides 
over and upon its seat without lifting in open- 
ing or closing a port or ports formed in the seat ; 
specifically, a flat-faced plain slide working, or 
Slide-valve. 
b' , valve inclosed in steam-chest f', and moved by the valve-rod or 
stem a. The valve-rod derives a reciprocating motion from the rock- 
lever b, pivoted at c and connected at the lower end with the eccen- 
tric-rod h, the latter being reciprocated by the eccentric . d' , d' , in- 
duction-ports which also alternately act as eduction-ports ; e, exhaust- 
port ; d, pitman or connecting-rod which, being connected to the piston- 
rod k, reciprocated by the piston /, imparts circular motion to the 
crank/", crank-shaft y', and eccentric f. 
adapted to work or slide, upon a flat-faced seat 
which includes a port or ports to be alternately 
opened and closed by the reciprocation of the 
slide. It is in extensive use in the cheaper forms of steam- 
engines, compressed-air engines, hydraulic motors, gas- 
and water-meters, in some kinds of air-compressors, and 
in some compressed-air ice-machines. In England the 
slide-valve is very commonly called simply a slide. Cir- 
cular slide-valve, a form of faucet-valve ; a cylindrical 
valve with ports in depressed sections of its periphery, 
serving to bring the ends of the cylinder alternately in 
connection with the steam-chest and the exhaust-port. 
Slide-valve motion. See motion. 
slideway (slid'wa), n. In mach., broadly, any 
guideway upon or in which a sliding piece 
moves, and by which the direction of its motion 
is determined. 
5695 
sliding (sli'ding), n. [Verbal n. of slide, r.] 
1. The motion of a body along a plane when 
the same face or surface of the moving body 
keeps in contact with the surface of the plane : 
thus distinguished from rolling, in which the 
several parts of the moving body come suc- 
cessively in contact with the plane on which it 
rolls. 2. The sport of gliding on snow or ice, 
on the feet, on a sled or a toboggan, or (in for- 
mer use) on skates, etc. 
Sliding upon the ice appears to have been a very fa- 
vourite pastime among the youth of this country in for- 
mer times; at present the use of skates is so generally dif- 
fused throughout the kingdom that sliding is but little 
practised. Strutl, Sports and Pastimes, p. 152. 
3. Falling; lapse; merging. 
To his [Henry II. 's] days must be fixed the final sliding 
of testamentary jurisdiction into the hands of the bishops, 
which was by the legislation of the next century perma- 
nently left there. 
Stubbs, Medieval and Modern Hist., p. 803. 
4. Transgression; lapse; backsliding. 
You seem'd of late to make the law a tyrant, 
And rather proved the sliding of your brother 
A merriment than a vice. Shak., M. forM., ii. 4. 115. 
sliding (sli'ding), p. a. 1. Slippery; uncer- 
tain; unstable; changing. 
That slyding science hath me maud so bare 
That I have no good, wher that ever I fare. 
Chaucer, Prol. to Canon's Yeoman's Tale, 1. 179. 
2. Movable; graduated; varying; changing 
according to circumstances: as, a sliding scale 
(which see, under slide, v.}. 3. That slides; 
fitted for being slid. 
As bold a smuggler as ever ran out a sliding bowsprit to 
the winds that blow betwixt Campvere and the east coast 
of Scotland. Scott, Bride of Lammermoor, xxx. 
4f. Sloping. 
Then lookes upon a hill, whose sliding sides 
A goodly flocke, like winter's cov'ring, hides. 
W. Browne, Britannia's Pastorals, ii. 3. 
Instantaneous sliding axis. See axis* . Sliding door. 
See door. Sliding friction. See friction, 2. Sliding 
sash. See Ai, 1. Sliding sinker. See sinker. (See 
also phrases under slidel, v.) 
sliding-balk (sli'ding-bak), n. In ship-building, 
one of a set of planks fitted under the bottom 
of a ship, to descend with her upon the bilge- 
ways in launching. Also called sliding-plank. 
sliding-band (sli'ding-band), n. A movable 
metallic band used to hold a reel in place on a 
fishing-rod. 
sliding-box (sli'ding-boks), n. A box or bear- 
ing fitted so as to have a sliding motion. 
sliding-gage (sli'ding-gaj), . An instrument 
used by makers of mathematical instruments 
for measuring and setting off distances. 
sliding-gunter (sli'ding-gun'ter), n. A rig for 
boats in which a sliding topmast is used to ex- 
tend a three-cornered sail. See gunter rig, 
under rig 2 Slidinjj-gunter mast See masti. 
sliding-keel (sli'ding-kel), n. A thin, oblong 
frame or platform let down vertically through 
the bottom of a vessel (almost always a small 
vessel), and constituting practically a deepen- 
ing of the keel throughout a part of the ves- 
sel's length. Sliding-keels serve to diminish the ten- 
dency of any vessel having a flat bottom or small draft to 
roll, and to prevent a sailing vessel from falling to leeward 
when close-hauled. This device is largely used on the 
coast of the United States in coasters, yachts, and sail- 
boats. In the United States exclusively called center- 
board. See cut under center-board. 
slidingness (sli'ding-nes), n. Sliding charac- 
ter or quality ; fluency. 
Clinias ... oft had used to bee an actor in tragedies, 
where he had learned, besides a slidingness of language, 
acquaintance with many passions. 
Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, ii. 
sliding-nippers (sli'ding-nip // erz), n., sing. orpl. 
In rope-making, same as grip 1 , 7. 
sliding-plank (sli'diug-plangk), n. Same as 
sliding-balk. 
sliding-relish (sli'ding-rel^ish), n. In harpsi- 
chord music, same as slide, 3 (a). 
slidometer (sH-dom'e-ter), n. [Irreg. < E. slide 
+ Gr. [itrpov, measure.] An instrument used 
to indicate the strains to which railway-cars 
are subjected by sudden stoppage. 
sliet, a. An obsolete form of sly. 
'slifet (slif), inierj. An old exclamation or im- 
precation, an abbreviation of God's life. 
I will not let you hate this pretty lass. 
'SUfe, it may prove her death. 
Randolph, Hey for Honesty, iv. 8. 
sliftert (slif'ter), . [< 'slift (< sKrei, v.) + 
-cr 1 .] A crack or crevice. 
It is impossible light to be in an house, and not to show 
itself at the slifters, door, and windows of the same. 
J. Bradford, Works (Parker Soc., 1853), II. 883. 
slight 
Slifteredt(slif'terd),. [</)//,Vrr + -<W'-'.] Cleft; 
cracked. 
Straight chops a wave, and in his sliftred panch 
Downe fals our ship. 
Marntnn, Antonio and Mellida, I., i. 1. 
Sliggeen (sli-gen'), . [< Ir. sligean, sliogan, a 
sheU,<sZ/'</e, a shell.] Shale ; soft rock. [Irish.] 
slight, a. An obsolete form of sly. 
slight 1 (slit), a. [Early mod. E. also sleight; < 
ME. *xli(/ltt, fliif/lit, sligt, slygt, sleght (not found 
in AS.), = OFries. slincht, E. Fries, slicht, 
smooth, slight, = MD. slicitt, even, plain, slecht, 
slight, simple, single, vile, or of little account, 
D. slecht, bad, = MLG. slicht, slecht = OHG. 
MHG. sleht, G. schlecht, plain, straight, simple, 
usually mean, bad, base, the lit. sense being 
supplied by the var. schlicht (after the verb 
sehlichten), smooth, sleek, plain, homely, = Icel. 
slettr, flat, smooth, slight, = Sw. slat, smooth, 
level, plain, = Dan. slet, flat, level, bad, = Goth. 
slaihts, smooth ; prob. orig. pp. (with formative 
-t), but the explanation of the word as lit. 
'beaten flat,' < AS. sledn, etc. (-y/ slah), smite, 
strike (see slay 1 ), is not tenable.] It. Plain; 
smooth (in a physical sense). 2. Slender; 
slim; thin; light; hence, frail; unsubstantial: 
as, a slight figure ; a slight structure. 
So sraothe, so smal, so seme .Vy. '. 
Rysez vp in hir araye ryalle 
A prec[i]os pyece in perleg pyst. 
AUUeratm Poems (ed. Morris), i. 190. 
This slight structure of private buildings seems to be 
the reason so few ruins are found in the many cities once 
built in Egypt. Bruce, Source of the Nile, I. 105. 
Some flue, slight fingers have a wondrous knack at pul- 
verizing a man's brittle pride. 
Charlotte Bronte, Shirley, xxviii. 
3. Slender in character or ability; lacking 
force of character or intellect ; feeble ; hence, 
silly; foolish. 
Some carry-tale, some please-man, some slight zany. 
Shak., L. L. L.,v. 2.463. 
I am little inclin'd to believe his testimony, he being so 
slight a person, so passionate, ill-bred, and of such impu- 
dent behaviour. Evelyn, Diary, Dec. 6, 1680. 
4. Very small, insignificant, or trifling; unim- 
portant, (a) Trivial ; paltry : as, a slight excuse. 
I have . . . fee'd every slight occasion that could but 
niggardly give me sight of her. 
Shak., M. W. of W., ii. 2. 204. 
When the divine Providence hath a Work to effect, 
what slight Occasions it oftentimes takes to effect the 
Work ! Baker, Chronicles, p. 184. 
(6) Of little amount ; meager; slender: as, a. slight repast. 
So sorrow's heaviness doth heavier grow 
For debt that bankrupt sleep doth sorrow owe ; 
Which now in some slight measure it will pay, 
If for his tender here I make some stay. 
Shak., M. N. D., iii. 2. 86. 
Such slight labours may aspire respect. 
B. Jonson, Poetaster, v. 1. 
The china was delicate egg-shell ; the old-fashioned sil- 
ver glittered with polishing ; but the eatables were of the 
slightest description. Mrs. Gaskell, Cranford, i. 
(c) Of little weight, or force, or intensity ; feeble ; gentle ; 
mild : as, a slight impulse or impression ; slight efforts ; a 
slight cold. 
After he was clapt up a while, he came to him selfe, and 
with some slight punishmente was let goe upon his be- 
haviour for further censure. 
Bradford, Plymouth Plantation, p. 175. 
The slightest flap a fly can chase. Gay, Fables, i. 8. 
(d ) Of little thoroughness ; superficial ; cursory ; hasty ; 
imperfect ; not thorough or exhaustive : as, a slight glance ; 
slight examination ; a slight, raking. 
In the month of September, &slight ploughing and prepa- 
ration is given to the field, destined for beans and par- 
snips the ensuing year. 
A. Hunter, Georgical Essays, IV. 321. 
5. Slighting; contemptuous; disdainful. 
Slight was his answer, " Well " 1 care not for it. 
Tennyson, Aylmer's Field. 
Slight negligence or neglect. See negligence, 2. =Syn. 
2. Flimsy. 4. Petty, scanty, hurried. 
Slight 1 (slit), v.t. [< ME. *sligh ten, sleahten = D. 
slechten = MLG. slichten, slechten, LG. slighten 
= OHG. slihtan, slihten, MHG. slihten, slichten, 
G. sehlichten = Icel. sletta = Sw. slata = Dan. 
slette, make smooth, even ; from the adj.] If. 
To make plain or smooth ; smooth : as, to slight 
linen (to iron it). Hallncell. 
To sleght, lucibrucinare. Cath. Any., p. 344. 
2f. To make level ; demolish ; overthrow. 
The old earthwork was slighted, and a new work of pine 
trees, [blank] foot square, fourteen foot high, and [blank] 
foot thick, was reared. 
Winthrop, Hist. New England, II. 298. 
I would slight Carlisle castell high, 
Though it were builded of marble stone. 
Kinmont Willie (Child's Ballads, VI. 61). 
3f. To throw; cast. 
