What does "slang" mean?
Slang: imp. of Sling. Slung. [Archaic]
Additional senses
- 2.Any long, narrow piece of land; a promontory. [Local, Eng.] Holland.
- 3.A fetter worn on the leg by a convict. [Eng.]
- 4.Low, vulgar, unauthorized language; a popular but unauthorized word, phrase, or mode of expression; also, the jargon of some particular calling or class in society; low popular cant; as, the slang of the theater, of college, of sailors, etc.
- 5.To address with slang or ribaldry; to insult with vulgar language. [Colloq.] Every gentleman abused by a cabman or slanged by a bargee was bound there and then to take off his coat and challenge him to fisticuffs. London Spectator.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00