slippery

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide

   Slippery sidewalks.

2. 2
   adj

   not to be trusted

   How extraordinarily slippery a liar the camera is- James Agee.

3. 3
   adj

   Of a surface, having low friction, often due to being covered in a non-viscous liquid, and therefore hard to grip, hard to stand on without falling, etc.

   Oily substances render things slippery.

4. 4
   adj

   Evasive; difficult to pin down.

   A slippery person.

From Middle English slipperie, an extended form ( + -y) of Middle English slipper, sliper (“slippery”), from Old English slipor (“slippery”), from Proto-Germanic *slipraz (“smooth, slippery”), equivalent to slip + -er. Compare also Middle English slibbri, slubbri (“slippery”) borrowed from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German slibberich (“slippery”). Cognate with German schlüpfrig (“slippery”), Danish slibrig (“slippery”), Swedish slipprig (“slippery”).

Topics