slang

B2 Topic:Communication

Also spelled slangin

US /ˈslæŋ/ See IPA manual

Freq #16865

Meanings

1

noun
Very informal words and expressions used in everyday speech rather than formal language.

Teenagers often use slang that older people find hard to understand.
2

noun
The special informal language used by a particular group of people.

Prison slang can be almost impossible for outsiders to follow.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

cant jargon lingo vernacular

Word family

Forms slangedslangingslangs

Derived forms anti-slangantislangbackslangcyberslangnetslangoutslangslang-likeslangdomslangerslangeryslangeseslangfest

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

slang term
a very informal word or expression used by a particular group

Noun + noun

Etymology

First use appears c. 1756, meaning "special vocabulary of tramps or thieves", origin unknown. Not believed to be connected with language or lingo. Possibly derived from a North Germanic source, then possibly related to Nordic language: Danish slænge, Icelandic and Norwegian Nynorsk slengja, Norwegian slenge, Swedish slänga (“to (carelessly) sling, throw, hurl; throw away, to dispose of; to flail”), with derivational nouns such as slæng, sleng, släng etc. Compare the compound: Danish slængenavn, Norwegian slengenavn, Norwegian Nynorsk slengenamn, Swedish slängnamn (“nickname, byname, informal n…

Topics

Communication Language & Linguistics Register & Style

External links

# slang

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈslæŋ/
**Frequency rank:** 16865

## Meanings
1. Very informal words and expressions used in everyday speech rather than formal language.
2. The special informal language used by a particular group of people.

## Examples
- Teenagers often use slang that older people find hard to understand.
- Prison slang can be almost impossible for outsiders to follow.

## Synonyms
- cant
- jargon
- lingo
- vernacular

## Derived Forms
- anti-slang
- antislang
- backslang
- cyberslang
- netslang
- outslang
- slang-like
- slangdom
- slanger
- slangery
- slangese
- slangfest

## Etymology
First use appears c. 1756, meaning "special vocabulary of tramps or thieves", origin unknown. Not believed to be connected with language or lingo. Possibly derived from a North Germanic source, then possibly related to Nordic language: Danish slænge, Icelandic and Norwegian Nynorsk slengja, Norwegian slenge, Swedish slänga (“to (carelessly) sling, throw, hurl; throw away, to dispose of; to flail”), with derivational nouns such as slæng, sleng, släng etc. Compare the compound: Danish slængenavn, Norwegian slengenavn, Norwegian Nynorsk slengenamn, Swedish slängnamn (“nickname, byname, informal n…

## AI Etymology
Slang's first use appears c. 1756, meaning "special vocabulary of tramps or thieves", origin unknown. Not believed to be connected with language or lingo. Possibly derived from a North Germanic source, then possibly related to Nordic language: Danish slænge, Icelandic and Norwegian Nynorsk slengja, Norwegian slenge, Swedish slänga (“to (carelessly) sling, throw, hurl; throw away, to dispose of; to flail”), with derivational nouns such as slæng, sleng, släng etc. In current use it includes senses such as Very informal words and expressions used in everyday speech rather than formal language and The special informal language used by a particular group of people.

## Topics
- Communication
- Language & Linguistics
- Register & Style

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