Dictionary

slink en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /slɪŋk/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English slynken, sclynken, from Old English slincan (“to creep; crawl”), from Proto-Germanic *slinkaną (“to creep; crawl”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleng-, *slenk- (“to turn; wind; twist”), from Proto-Indo-European *sel- (“to sneak; crawl”). Cognate with West Frisian slinke, Dutch slinken (“to shrink; shrivel”), Low German slinken, Swedish slinka (“to glide”). Compare also German schleichen (“to slink”). More at sleek.

Meanings

1. (Scotland) Thin; lean

Forms

Deriveds

slinky · slinkskin · outslink · slink butcher · slinkingly · slinker

Synonyms

slunken

slink en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /slɪŋk/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English slynken, sclynken, from Old English slincan (“to creep; crawl”), from Proto-Germanic *slinkaną (“to creep; crawl”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleng-, *slenk- (“to turn; wind; twist”), from Proto-Indo-European *sel- (“to sneak; crawl”). Cognate with West Frisian slinke, Dutch slinken (“to shrink; shrivel”), Low German slinken, Swedish slinka (“to glide”). Compare also German schleichen (“to slink”). More at sleek.

Meanings

1. (countable) A furtive sneaking motion.
   • His slink became a stride; he held his tail high; his eyes began to look more curious than scared. But he was still cautious. 1998, Beppie Noyes, Mosby, the Kennedy Center Cat, page 30:
2. (countable, uncountable) The young of an animal when born prematurely, especially a calf.
3. (countable, uncountable) The meat of such a prematurely born animal.
   • It is an ascertained fact that young or “slink” veal very frequently gives rise to diarrhœa, more especially when that disease is epidemic. 1868, Charles Alexander Cameron, The Stock-Feeder's Manual:
4. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A bastard child, one born out of wedlock.
5. (Scotland, UK, countable, dialectal, uncountable) A thievish fellow; a sneak.

Forms

Translations (4)

ru недоно́сок (the young of an animal when born prematurely) · cs zmetek (the young of an animal when born prematurely) · de Frühgeburt (the young of an animal when born prematurely) · cs nedonošené mládě (the young of an animal when born prematurely)

slink en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /slɪŋk/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English slynken, sclynken, from Old English slincan (“to creep; crawl”), from Proto-Germanic *slinkaną (“to creep; crawl”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleng-, *slenk- (“to turn; wind; twist”), from Proto-Indo-European *sel- (“to sneak; crawl”). Cognate with West Frisian slinke, Dutch slinken (“to shrink; shrivel”), Low German slinken, Swedish slinka (“to glide”). Compare also German schleichen (“to slink”). More at sleek.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To sneak about furtively.
   • I have arrived to catch the 0830 TfW service to Crewe, worked by a tatty and unrefurbished 175114. As if ashamed of its appearance, it slinks into Platform 2 (instead of Platform 1, where it was expected). No announcement had been made, and we leave without any fanfare. 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 67:
   • Far away I saw a gaunt cat slink crouchingly along a wall, but traces of men there were none. 1895–1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “The Stillness”, in The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, published 1898, →OCLC, book II (The Earth under the Martians), page 239:
   • Earnest slunk backstage. 2013 November, Glenn Thrush, “Locked in the Cabinet”, in POLITICO:
   • As we do turn our backs From our companion thrown into his grave, So his familiars to his buried fortunes Slink all away, leave their false vows with him, Like empty purses pick’d; and his poor self, A dedicated beggar to the air, With his disease of all-shunn’d poverty, Walks, like contempt, alone. c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
   • How meek and shrunken did that haughty Tarmac become as it slunk by the wide circle of asphalt of the yellow sort, that was loosely strewn before the great iron gates of Lady Hall as a forerunner of the consideration that awaited the guests of Rupert, Earl of Kare, […]. 1922, Michael Arlen, “3/1/1”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
   • Joseph Poorgrass, in the background, twitched, and his lips became dry with fear of some terrible consequences as he saw Bathsheba summarily speaking, and Henery slinking off to a corner. 1874, Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC:
   • Back to the thicket slunk the guilty serpent. 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
   • The leaving us was just a feint; / Back here to London did he slink, / And now works on without a wink / Of sleep, and we are on the brink 1842, Robert Browning, Waring:
2. (ambitransitive) To give birth to an animal prematurely.
   • a cow that slinks her calf

Forms

Translations (22)

ru кра́сться (sneak about furtively) · pt espreitar (sneak about furtively) · ro furișa (sneak about furtively) · bg промъквам се (sneak about furtively) · it sgattaiolare (sneak about furtively) · cs krást se (sneak about furtively) · pl skradać się (sneak about furtively) · ro strecura (sneak about furtively) · cs vykrást se (sneak about furtively) · ru шныря́ть (sneak about furtively) · mi whakahengi (sneak about furtively) · sh krasti se (sneak about furtively) · cs plížit se (sneak about furtively) · de schleichen (sneak about furtively) · ro fofila (sneak about furtively) · fi hiipiä (sneak about furtively) · cs odplížit se (sneak about furtively) · bg прокрадвам се (sneak about furtively) · cs vytratit se (sneak about furtively) · nl sluipen (sneak about furtively) · sh šunjati se (sneak about furtively) · ru подкра́дываться (sneak about furtively)