slam

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To shut something with great force, making a loud noise.

   She was so angry that she slammed the door behind her.

2. 2
   verb

   To put something down hard and noisily.

   He slammed the books on the table and stormed out.

3. 3
   verb

   To hit or crash against something suddenly and heavily.

   The boat slammed into the bank and we almost fell into the river.

From Middle English *slammen (not recorded), apparently from a Scandinavian source ultimately from Old Norse slæma, slœma (“to slam, swing a weapon, strike an object out of reach”), related to Old Norse slamra, slambra (“to slam”). Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål slamre (“to slam”), Swedish slamra (“to pound, beat, make a clatter, rattle”), Norwegian Nynorsk slamra (“to sway, dangle”).

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