sluff Meaning & Definition
What Does Sluff Mean?
As a noun, sluff means the cast-off skin of a snake. It is also used to mean a mass of dead tissue separating from an ulcer. As a verb, it means to become shed or cast off.
Quick Facts About Sluff
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈsləf/ |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | exfoliate, molt and shed |
| Antonyms | breeze, coast and glide |
| Plural | sluffs |
| Verb forms | sluffs, sluffing, sluffed |
Sluff Definition (Noun)
- the cast-off skin of a snake
- a mass of dead tissue separating from an ulcer
- something that may be shed or cast off
Sluff as a Verb
- to become shed or cast off
- to cast off one's skin
- to separate in the form of dead tissue from living tissue
- to crumble slowly and fall away
- to cast off
- to get rid of or discard as irksome, objectionable, or disadvantageous
- to dispose of (a losing card in bridge) by discarding
Synonyms of Sluff
Antonyms of Sluff
Sluff in a Sentence
That is the sluff of a rattler; we must be careful.
This is the sluff that came off of his skin after the burn.
He's sluffing off somewhere.
the snake is sloughing its old skin
the land for miles around the lake is strewn with ponds, sloughs, and mudflats
the unpleasant task of sloughing through the muck to retrieve the ball
finally sloughed off the depression that had been weighing him down for months
Word Forms & Grammar
slew
slews
slough
sloughier
sloughiest
sloughs
sloughy
sluff
sluffs
sloughed
sluffed
slough·ing
sluff·ing
sloughing
sluffing
sluffing (off)
slue
slues
slough (off)
slough off
sluff (off)
sluff off
sluff (plural sluffs)
sluff (third-person singular simple present sluffs, present participle sluffing, simple past and past participle sluffed)
Words That Rhyme With Sluff
Origin of Sluff
Origin 1: Middle English slughe; akin to Middle High German slūch snakeskin
Origin 2: From Middle English slough (“skin, husk, rind; cocoon; scales; cyst”), akin to Middle High German slûch (“slough”) (whence German Schlauch (“tube, hose”)).
First Known Use
14th century
1720i
Sluff Pronunciation
Sluff is pronounced /ˈsləf/ and has 1 syllable.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sluff
Is sluff a noun or a verb?
Sluff is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for sluff?
You can replace sluff with words such as exfoliate, molt and shed. See the full list of sluff synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of sluff?
The opposite of sluff can be expressed with words like breeze, coast, glide and slide.
What is the plural of sluff?
The plural of sluff is sluffs.
What is the past tense of sluff?
The past tense of sluff is sluffed. The present participle is sluffing.