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

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images