slang

Meanings

Noun

• Language outside of conventional usage and in the informal register.
• Language that is unique to a particular profession or subject; jargon.
• The specialized language of a social group, sometimes used to make what is said unintelligible to those not members of the group; cant.
• A particular variety of slang; the slang used by a particular group.
• An item of slang; a slang word or expression.
• A curse word.
• Any long, narrow piece of land; a promontory.
• A fetter worn on the leg by a convict.
• A counterfeit weight or measure.
• A travelling show, or one of its performances.
• A hawker's license.
• A watchchain.

Verb

• To vocally abuse, or shout at.
• Past of sling
• To sell .

Related

Similar words

• vernacular, jargon, lingo, cant

Origin

• 1756, meaning "special vocabulary of tramps or thieves", origin unknown. Possibly derived from a North Germanic source, related to Norwegian Nynorsk slengenamn ("nickname"), slengja kjeften, related to Icelandic slengja ("to sling, throw, hurl"), Old Norse slyngva ("to sling"). Not believed to be connected with language or lingo.
• Compare sling.
• The same as sling which is also used in this sense. The vowel exhibits the lowering of /ɪ/ before /ŋ/ distinguishing for African American Vernacular English, as in thang for thing, but the word has spread with this pronunciation outside the accents that exhibit this feature.