/ˈslɑːnt/, /ˈslænt/
OriginLate Middle English, from a variant of the earlier form dialectal slent, from Old Norse or another North Germanic source, cognate with Old Norse slent, Swedish slinta (“to slip”), Norwegian slenta (“to fall on the side”), from Proto-Germanic *slintaną. Probably influenced by aslant.
- A slope; an incline, inclination.
“The house was built on a bit of a slant and was never quite level.”
- A sloped surface or line.
- A run: a heading driven diagonally between the dip and strike of a coal seam.
- Synonym of slash ⟨ / ⟩, particularly in its use to set off pronunciations from other text.
“Initial inquiries among professional typists uncover names like slant, slant line, slash, and slash mark. Examination of typing instruction manuals discloses additional names such as diagonal and diag”
- An oblique movement or course.
- A sloping surface in a culture medium.
- A pan with a sloped bottom used for holding paintbrushes.
- A depression on a palette with a sloping bottom for holding and mixing watercolours.
- A palette or similar container with slants or sloping depressions.
- US, obsoleteA sarcastic remark; shade, an indirect mocking insult.
- slangAn opportunity, particularly to go somewhere.
- Australia, slangA crime committed for the purpose of being apprehended and transported to a major settlement.
- A point of view, an angle.
“It was a well written article, but it had a bit of a leftist slant.”
- USA look, a glance.
“All batters looked alike to him—I don't believe he ever took a slant at the averages;”
“`What do you want?' `Just a slant at the weapon,' said Fenner.”
- ambitransitiveTo lean, tilt or incline.
“If you slant the track a little more, the marble will roll down it faster.”
“On the side of yonder slanting hill”
- transitiveTo bias or skew.
“The group tends to slant its policies in favor of the big businesses it serves.”
- Scotland, intransitiveTo lie or exaggerate.
- Sloping; oblique; slanted.
“The Laplander beholds the far-off Sun
Dart his slant beam on unobeying snows, […]”
“A slant ray of golden sunshine entered the chamber; it drew nearer and nearer as the hour went by, till it fell on Guido's bed.”
“By the eighth day, Alexander and Caswell had lashed together a hut with a slant roof […]”
Formsslants(plural) · slants(present, singular, third-person) · slanting(participle, present) · slanted(participle, past) · slanted(past)