Slab Meaning
/slæb/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA large, flat piece of solid material; a solid object that is large and flat.
nounA paving stone; a flagstone.
Sentence Examples
A heavy stone slab was lowered over the grave.
The amount of concrete needed to make this slab is immense.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The worker carefully placed the heavy concrete ____ into position for the new sidewalk.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The workers poured a thick ____ of concrete to create the foundation for the new house.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English sclabbe, slabbe, of uncertain origin; possibly from *slap, related to dialectal slappel (“portion, piece”), along with slape (“slippery”), sleip (“smooth piece of timber”), borrowed through Old Norse sleipr from Proto-Germanic *slaipaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leyb-. See also Norwegian sleip (“slippery”) and Icelandic sleipur.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"There were no windows in the inn. They were not required, since the interstices between the slabs suffered the wind, the rain, and the light of day to penetrate simultaneously."
— 1859, John Lang, Botany Bay, or, True Tales of Early Australia, page 155:
"Then there was the Mexican who sold big slabs of chewing taffy for five cents each. […] And many a day I made my entire lunch off of one of those slabs."
— 1913 August, Jack London, chapter V, in John Barleycorn, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC, page 45:
"I was working in the lab late one night
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
For my monster, from his slab, began to rise
And suddenly, to my surprise
He did the Mash
He did the Monster Mash."
— 1962, “Monster Mash”, Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Lenny Capizzi (lyrics), performed by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers:
"“The pier? You mean those few sodden logs tied together and that dingy slab of rough concrete.”"
— 2010, Ryan Humphreys, The Flirtations of Dan Harris, page 73:
"The Australians murder a few slabs of beer and the New Zealanders murder a few vowels."
— 2001, Les Carlyon, Gallipoli, page 8:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The worker carefully placed the heavy concrete ____ into position for the new sidewalk.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The workers poured a thick ____ of concrete to create the foundation for the new house.