slang

CEFRB2

/ˈslæŋ/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    Informal words used by a particular group.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Language that is unique to a particular profession or subject; jargon.

Examples

  • Don't use slang if you can help it.

  • It's fun to learn slang words in foreign languages.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • [ˈsleɪ̯ŋ] ~ /ˈslɛ̃ŋ/
  • /ˈsleɪ̯ŋ/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The specialized language of a social group, sometimes used to conceal one's meaning from outsiders; cant.

  2. Language outside of conventional usage and in the informal register.

  3. A particular variety of slang; the slang used by a particular group.

More examples

In context

  • Stephen feared that he would yell louder, and was hostile. But they made friends and treated each other, and slanged the proprietor and ragged the pretty girls …

  • English-speaking Australians have always had a love affair with slang.

  • She was amused by his talk, which was simple, straightforward, rather humorous and keen, and interspersed with homely expressions of a style which is sometimes called slang.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The teenagers used a lot of blank like 'lit' and 'cool' that their parents could not understand.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

First use appears c. 1756, meaning "special vocabulary of tramps or thieves", origin unknown. Not believed to be connected with language or lingo. Possibly derived from a North Germanic source, then possibly related to Nordic language: Danish slænge, Icelandic and Norwegian Nynorsk slengja, Norwegian slenge, Swedish slänga (“to (carelessly) sling, throw, hurl; throw away, to dispose of; to flail”), with derivational nouns such as slæng, sleng, släng etc. Compare the compound: Danish slængenavn, Norwegian slengenavn, Norwegian Nynorsk slengenamn, Swedish slängnamn (“nickname, byname, informal name”, literally “sling-name”), and the phrases: Norwegian Nynorsk slengja kjeften, Swedish slänga k...