slither

Etymology

From Middle English slitheren, alteration of slideren (“to slither, creep”), from Old English slidrian (“to slip, slide, slither”), from Proto-Germanic *slidrōną (“to slide, slither”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleydʰ- (“to slip”). Cognate with Dutch slidderen (“to slip, wriggle, slither”). More at slide.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈslɪð.ə(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -ɪðə(r)

Verb

slither (third-person singular simple present slithers, present participle slithering, simple past and past participle slithered)

1. (intransitive) To move about smoothly and from side to side.
2. (intransitive) To slide
   • 2003, J. Flash, An American Savage

     I bent down and with both hands I scooped up as much of this pissshit as I could. The green and brown clump felt like Jello as it dripped down all over my clothes. It was slithering through inbetween my fingers.

See also

• sliver

Anagrams

• Hitlers, Shitler, relisht