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slew¹ also slue

(sl)

n.
Informal

A large amount or number; a lot: a slew of unpaid bills.

[Irish Gaelic sluagh, multitude, from Old Irish slúag.]

slew²

(sl)

A past tense of slay.

slew³

(sl)

Variant of slough¹.

slew⁴ also slue

(sl)

v.tr. slewed, slew·ing, slews also slued or slu·ing or slues

1. To turn (something) on an axis; rotate: slewed the swivel chair around; slewing the boom of a crane.

2. To turn sharply; veer: braked and slewed the car around.

v.intr.

1. To turn about an axis: "The violet eyes slewed from door to window as if desperate for escape" (P.D. James).

2. To turn or slide sideways or off course; skid.

The act of slewing.

[Origin unknown.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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