sling 
LG. nli.ni/ni = OHG. xliiii/nn. MHG. xlinf/rn, G. 
schlingrii, wind, twist, sling, = Icel. s'lyngrti, 
slongca, sling, fling, throw (cf. Sw. slunga = 
Dan. slynge, sling: a secondary form ; Sw. slin- 
ga, twist/ G.); cf. freq. D. MLG. ulingeren, toss, 
= G. scMini/ern, xclilnikfrii = Sw. xlingra = Dan. 
slingre, fling about; cf. Lith. xliiikti, creep, E. 
slink 1 , slikc 1 ; prob. one of the extended forms 
of Teut. V sli, in xlipi. xliili; etc. Hence ult. 
sltmgZ, and perhaps slang^.J I. trnnx. 1. To 
throw; fling; hurl. 
Tears up mountains by the roots, 
Or slings a broken rock aloft in air. 
Aiidixon, Milton's Style Imitated. 
Time, a maniac scattering dust, 
And Life, a Fury slinging flame. 
Tennyson, In Memoriam, 1. 
2. To fling or throw with a jerk, with or as with 
a sling. See sling 1 , n., 1. 
Every one could sling stones at an hairbreadth, and not 
miss. Judges xx. 16. 
3. To hang or suspend loosely or so as to swing : 
as, to xling a pack on one's back; to sling a 
rifle over one's shoulder. 
Hee mounted himselfe on his steede so talle, . . . 
And slung h\8 bugle about his necke. 
Child of Bile (Child's Ballads, III. 228). 
At his back 
Is slung a huge harp. 
5697 
the sixteenth century. 7. A sweep or swing; 
a stroke as if of a missile cast from a sling. 
At one sling 
Of thy victorious arm. Milton, P. L., x. 633. 
Suddenly gathers a storm, and the deadly sling of the 
hailstones 
Beats down the fanner's corn. 
Longfellow, Evangeline, i. 4. 
8. In a millstone, a swinging motion from side 
to side. 9. In dynam., a contrivance consisting 
of one pendulum hung to the end of another. 
Boat-slings, strong ropes or chains furnished with hooks 
and iron thimbles, whereby to hook the tackles in order to 
hoist the boats in and out of the ship. Buoy-slings, 
slings used to keep buoys riding upright. Butt-sling, a 
sling used for hoisting casks. Demi-sllngt, quarter- 
slingt, pieces of artillery smaller than the sling : the quar- 
ter-sling, at least, was made of forged iron and therefore 
small, like a wall-piece or harquebus a croc. Slings of a 
yard (naut.), ropes or chains attached to the middle of a 
yard, serving to suspend it for the greater ease of working, 
or for security in an engagement This phrase also ap- 
plies to the part of the yard on which the slings are placed. 
sling 2 (sling), n. [Cf. MLG. LG. slingen (G. 
schlingen), swallow, altered by confusion with 
the verb mentioned under sling 1 , MLG. slinden 
= D. slinden = OHG. slintan, MHG. slinden = 
Goth.fra-slindan, swallow; perhaps a nasalized 
form of the verb represented by AS. slidan, E. 
slide: see slide.'] Toddy with nutmeg grated 
on the surface. See gin-sling. 
around the middle of a lower yard, to which the 
slings are fastened. 
iling'bon), n. The astragalus. 
(gling'bul"et), n. A bullet modi- 
in shape for use in a sling, 
spring Dr. Chaplin was fortunate enough to secure 
The Academy, Aug. 2, 1890, p. 94. 
, W augearp 
William Morris, Earthly Paradise, III. 32 Sling-band (sling band), . Naut., an iron band 
4. To place in slings in order to hoist ; move 
or swing bv a rope from which the thing moved 
is suspended: as, to sling casks or bales from 
the hold of a ship to sling boats, ordnance, etc. 
-5. To cut (plastic clay) into thin slices by a 
string or wire, for the purpose of detecting and 
rem/ving small stones^t may be interred 
the clay To sling a hammock or cot. See , . , , . . 
yiuOaliaut.), to suspend than vlth olulni on g^ing uSo* sling-cart (sling'kart), . A kind of cart used 
for transporting cannon and their carriages, 
etc., for short distances, by slinging them by a 
chain from the axletree. 
sling-dog (sling'dog), n. An iron hook for a 
sling, with a fang at one end and an eye at the 
other for a rope, used in pairs, two being em- 
ployed together with connecting tackle. See 
cut under dog, 9 (c). 
slinger (sling'er), n. [< ME. slynger, slingare, 
slinger (= OHG. slingari; cf. D. slingeraar); as 
action. 
II. intrans. If. To be hurled or flung. 
Thorowe the strength off the wynd 
Into the welken hitt schall slynge. 
Hymns to Virgin, etc. (E. E. T. S.), p. 120. 
2. To move with long, swinging, elastic steps. 
[Colloq.J 
started off at a long sling- 
Two well-known runners 
ing trot across the fields. 
T. Hughes, Tom Brown at Rugby, i. 7. 
sling 1 + -cr 1 .] One who slings ; especially, one 
who uses the sling as a weapon in war or the 
chase. The Greeks, Romans, and Carthaginians had bod- 
usually expressed 'by lithere, liifire, lythre, < le- jes of slingers attached to their armies, recruited especially 
ther leathpri (TFVipa sj;,n* ivm <,li from the inhabitants of the Baleanc Isles. Theuseofthe 
ier, lei ler; _ U^nes. slinge = MD. slinge = s i lng continued among European armies to the sixteenth 
MlAr. slenge = OHG. shnga, MHG. slinge (> century, at which time it was employed to hurl grenades. 
It. eslingna = F. elingue), G. schlinge = Sw. 8ee cut under sling. 
slunga = Dan. slynge, a sling; from the verb. 
The later senses (7, 8, 9) are directly from 
the mod. verb.] 1. An instrument for throw- 
ing stones or bul- 
lets, consisting of a 
strap and two strings 
attached to it. The 
stone or bullet is lodged 
in the strap, and, the 
ends of the strings be- 
ing held in the hand, the 
sling is whirled rapidly 
round in a circle, and the 
misslie thrown by letting 
go one of the strings. The 
velocity with which the 
projectile is discharged 
is the same as that with 
which it is whirled round i 
its radius. The sling was a 
among the ancients. See sling-eta ^ .... 
Use eek the cast of stone, with slynge or honde. sometimes slank), ppr. slinking. [Also dial. 
Knyghthode and Batayle, quoted in Strutt's Sports and sunch ; < MK 'sunken, slynken, sclynken, < AS. 
[Pastimes, p. 138. slincan (pret. "slanc, pp. 'sluncen), creep (cf. 
An English shepherd boasts of his skill in using of the slincend, a reptile), = MLG. slinken, slink, 
Strutt, sports and Pastimes, p. 135. shrink ; a nasalized form of AS. 'slican, creep, 
2. A kind of hanging loop in which something, = OHG. slihhan, slichan, MHG. slicnen, G. 
as a wounded limb, is supported: as, to have schleichen, slink, crawl, sneak, move slowly: see 
one's arm in a sling. 3. A device for grasp- sleek, slick 1 , slike 1 . Cf. Lith. slinkti, creep: see 
ing and holding heavy articles, as casks, bales, sling 1 .] To sneak; steal or move quietly: gen- 
etc., while being raised or lowered. A common erally with off or away. 
Only in Kir-haraseth left they the stones thereof; how- 
beit the slingers went about it, and smote it. 2 Ki. iii. 25. 
Caesar calmly sent back his cavalry and his archers and 
slingers. Fronde, Ciesar, p. 240. 
sling-mant (sliug'man), n. A slinger. 
So one while Lot sets on a Troup of Horse, 
A Band of Sling-men he anon doth force. 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas's Weeks, ii., The Vocation. 
sling-piece (sling' pes), n. A small chambered 
cannon. Grose. 
sling-stone (sling'ston), n. A stone used as a 
missile to be hurled by a sling. These stones 
were sometimes cut with grooves, sometimes 
having two grooves crosswise. 
The arrow cannot make him flee ; slingstones are turned 
with him into stubble. Job xli 28 
X^tftr^SM slin|-Wagon (sling'wag"on), A sling-cart. 
sling-stone and stalling. Slink 1 (slingk), V. I. ; pret. and pp. slunk (pret. 
form consists of a rope strap fitted securely round the 
object, but is frequently a chain with hooks at its ends, 
and a ring through which to pass the hook of the hoist- 
ing-rope (as shown in the figure of sling-dogs, under dog). 
Compare gun-sling, 1. 
We have had . . . the sinking of a vessel at Woolwich 
by letting a 35-ton gun fall from the slings on to her bot- 
" B. Spencer, Study of Sociol., p. 161. 
4. A thong or strap, attached to a hand-fire- 
He soft into his bed gan for to slyntte, 
To slope longe, as he was wont to doon. 
Chaucer, Troilus, iii. 1535. 
Nay, we will slink away in supper-time. 
Disguise us at my lodging and return. 
Shak., M. of V., ii. 4. 1. 
As boys that slink 
From ferule and the trespass-chiding eye, 
Away we stole. Tennyson, Princess, v. 
arm of any sort, to allow of its being earned slink 1 (slingk), w. [< slink 1 , v.~\ 1. A sneak- 
over the shoulder or across the back, and usu- ing fellow. Brockett; Halliwell. 2 A greedy 
ally adjustable witli buckles or slides. See gun- starveling. 3. A cheat. 
ling 2. 5. The chain or rope that suspends a slink 2 (slingk), r. [Usually identified with 
yard or gaff. 6f. A piece of artillery in use in slink 1 , but prob. a form of sling 1 , fling, cast (cf. 
slip 
riiil,-, a form of niif/ 1 ).] I. trans. To cast pre- 
maturely: said of a female beast. 
II. iiilrinix. To miscarry; cast the young pre- 
maturely : said of a female beast. 
slink 2 (slingk), n. and a. [Also slunk; < slink*, 
v.~\ I. n. 1. An animal, especially a calf , pre- 
maturely brought forth. 2. The flesh of an 
animal prematurely brought forth; the veal of 
a calf killed immediately after being calved; 
bob-veal. [Prov. Eng. and Scotch.] 3. A 
bastard child. [Rare.] 
What did you go to London for but to drop your slink? 
Roger Comberbaeh (1702), Byron and Elms, Comberbach, 
|p. 391. 
4. A thin or poor and bony fish, especially such 
a mackerel. See mackerel 1 . 
II. a. 1. Produced prematurely: as, a, slink 
calf. 2. Immature and unfit for human food: 
as, slink veal; slink meat. 
slink 3 (slingk), a. [Related to slank and slunken, 
and with these prob. ult. from the root of 
slink 1 : see slank and slunken.] 1. Thin; slen- 
der; lean; starved and hungry: as, slink cat- 
tle. 2. Sneaky; mean. 
He has na settled his account wi' my gudeman the dea- 
con for this twalmonth ; he 's but slink, I doubt. 
Scott, Antiquary, xv. 
Slink 4 (slingk), n. [Cf. slang*, slanket (?).] A 
small piece of wet meadow-land. [Prov. Eng.] 
slink-butcher (slingk'buch"er), n. One who 
slaughters slinks ; also, one who slaughters dis- 
eased animals, and markets their carcasses. 
There is, however, reason to fear that some of the rab- 
bits and other animals exported from the mother country 
in ill-health may return to us in the shape of tinned 
meats ; and steps should, of course, be taken for the pro- 
tection of our own slink-butchers from any dishonourable 
competition of this nature with their industry. 
. James's Gazette, May 14, 1886, p. 4. (Encyc. DM.) 
Slink-skin (slingk'skin), . The skin of a slink, 
or leather made from such skin. 
Take the finest vellum or slink-skin, without knots or 
flaws, seeth it with fine pouder of pummice stone well 
sifted, etc. Lvpton's Thousand Notable Things. (If ares.) 
slinky (sling'ki), a. [< slinks + _,/!.] Lank; 
lean; flaccid. 
slip 1 (slip), r. ; pret. and pp. slipped or slipt, 
ppr. slipping. [Under this form are merged 
several orig. diff. verbal forms: (a) < ME. slip- 
pen (pret. slipte, pp. slipped), < AS. 'slippan 
(Somner, Lye) (pret. 'slipte, pp. 'slipped), slip, 
= MD. D. slippen, slip, escape, = MLG. slippen 
= OHG. sliffan, slipfan, MHG. slipfen, G. schlip- 
fen (mixed with seltliipfen), slip, glide, = Icel. 
sleppa, let slip, = Sw. slippa = Dan. slippe, slip, 
let go, get off, escape ; causal of (b) AS. slipan 
(Lye) (pret. "slap, pp. 'slipen), slip, glide, pass 
away, = OHG. slifan, MHG. slifen, G. schleifen, 
slide, glance; this group being identical in form 
with the transitive verb (c) ME. slipen = MD. 
D. slijpen = MLG. slipen = MHG. slifen, G. schlei- 
fen = Icel. slipa = Norw. slipa = Sw. slipa = 
Dan. slibe, make smooth, polish; cf. (d) Icel. 
sleppa (pret. slapp, pp. slyppinn), slip, slide, 
escape, fail, miss, = Norw. sleppa = Sw. slippa 
= Dan. slippe (pret. slap), let go, escape (no 
exactly corresponding AS. form appears) ; (e) 
AS. as if 'slyppan = OHG. slupfen, MHG. sliip- 
fen, G. schliipfen, slip, glide ; (/) AS. as if *slyp- 
an = OS. xlopjan = OHG. sloufan, MHG. sloufen, 
sloufen, slip, slide, push, = Goth, 'slaupjan, in 
comp. af-slaupjan, put off; (g) AS. slupan,'sle6p- 
an (pret. sledp, pp. slopen), slip, fall away (also 
in comp. d-slupan, to-slupan, fall apart), = D. 
sluipen, sneak, = OHG. sliofan, MHG. sliefen, 
G. schliefen, slip, crawl, sneak, = Goth, sliupan 
(pret. slaup, pp. 'slupans), slip, also in comp. uf- 
sliupan, creep in. These forms belong to two 
roots, \/ slip, T/ slup, the first four groups to 
y slip, which is prob. an extension of the ^/ sli 
in slide, sling, slink, etc., Skt. / sar, flow, and 
the last three groups to / slup, perhaps akin to 
L. lubricus (for 'slubricus), smooth, slippery, 
Lith. slubnas, weak. The forms and uses m 
Teut. are confused, and overlap. From the 
same root or roots are ult. slipper 1 , slipper 2 , 
slippery, slop 1 , slope, sleeve 1 , sloven 1 , etc.] I. 
intrans. 1. To move in continuous contact 
with a surface without rolling; slide; hence, 
to pass smoothly and easily ; glide. 
Lay hold on her, 
And hold her fast ; she'll slip through your fingers like an 
eel else. Fletcher (and another 1), Prophetess, iii. 2. 
They trim their feathers, which makes them oily and 
slippery, that the water may slip off them. Mortimer. 
Many a ship 
Whose black bows smoothly through the waves did slip. 
William Morris, Earthly Paradise, III. 101. 
