slither
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to slide down or along a surface, especially unsteadily, from side to side, or with some friction or noise.
The box slithered down the chute.
-
to go or walk with a sliding motion.
The snake slithered across the path.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
to move or slide or cause to move or slide unsteadily, as on a slippery surface
-
(intr) to travel with a sliding motion
noun
Other Word Forms
- slithery adjective
Etymology
Origin of slither
1150–1200; Middle English slitheren, variant of sliddren, Old English slid ( e ) rian, frequentative of slīdan to slide; -er 6
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Still, he held on to a slither of hope.
From Barron's
He reared his head back, stuck his tongue out at me about a thousand times, then slithered on through the brush and disappeared.
From Literature
“Now, daughter, give the little man what you promised,” he said, his voice so oily it slithered.
From Literature
But she clipped the wall of the halfpipe halfway down the course and slithered to the base, losing a ski.
From Barron's
Even the opening credits, some written in slithering hair, seem to tremble out of either fear or ecstasy.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
