slide

slide¹ W3 [slaıd] v past tense and past participle slid [slıd]

[: Old English; Origin: slidan]

1.) [I and T]

to move smoothly over a surface while continuing to touch it, or to make something move in this way

slide along/across/down etc

▪ Francesca slid across the ice.

slide sth across/along etc

▪ He opened the oven door and slid the pan of cookies in.

▪ He slid open the door of the glass cabinet.

2.) [I,T always + adverb/preposition]

to move somewhere quietly and smoothly, or to move something in this way

slide into/out of etc

▪ Daniel slid out of the room when no one was looking.

▪ She slid into the driver's seat.

slide sth into/out of etc sth

▪ He slid the gun into his pocket.

3.)

if prices, amounts, rates etc slide, they become lower

= ↑drop

≠ ↑rise

▪ Stocks slid a further 3% on the major markets today.

4.) [I]

to gradually become worse, or to begin to have a problem

▪ Students' test scores started to slide in the mid-1990s.

slide into

▪ Murphy gradually slid into a pattern of drug abuse.

5.) let sth slide

a) to let a situation get gradually worse

▪ Management has let safety standards slide at the factory.

b) [i]spoken to ignore a mistake, problem, remark etc, without trying to improve or stop it

▪ Well, I guess we can let it slide this time.

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WORD CHOICE: slide, slip, skid

Slide means to move smoothly across a surface. You can talk about people, objects, or liquids sliding : This floor's great for sliding on. | The door slid open (NOT slided open). |A tear slid down her cheek.

Slip means to accidentally slide a small distance, and usually then fall down : She slipped and hurt her wrist. | It's icy - mind you don't slip.

Skid means to move across a smooth surface in an uncontrolled way. You usually use it to talk about vehicles : Cars skidded on the snow. |Jason skidded around the corner on his bike.

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slide ²

slide² n

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1¦(for children)¦

2¦(decrease)¦

3¦(picture)¦

4¦(getting worse)¦

5¦(science)¦

6¦(music/machine)¦

7¦(movement)¦

8¦(earth/snow)¦

9¦(for hair)¦

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1.) ¦(FOR CHILDREN)¦

a large structure with steps leading to the top of a long sloping surface which children can slide down

2.) ¦(DECREASE)¦ [usually singular]

a decrease in prices, amounts etc

≠ ↑rise slide in

▪ the current slide in house prices

on the slide

▪ The company's shares were on the slide again yesterday, down 7p at 339p.

3.) ¦(PICTURE)¦

a small piece of film in a frame that you shine a light through to show a picture on a ↑screen or wall

▪ a slide show

4.) ¦(GETTING WORSE)¦ [usually singular]

a situation in which something gradually gets worse, or someone develops a problem

slide in

▪ School administrators were unable to explain the slide in student performance.

slide into

▪ a slide into economic chaos

5.) ¦(SCIENCE)¦

a small piece of thin glass used for holding something that you want to look at under a ↑microscope

6.) ¦(MUSIC/MACHINE)¦

a sliding part of a machine or musical instrument, such as the U-shaped tube of a ↑trombone

7.) ¦(MOVEMENT)¦ [usually singular]

a sliding movement across a surface

▪ The car went into a slide .

8.) ¦(EARTH/SNOW)¦

a sudden fall of earth, stones, snow etc down a slope

▪ a rock slide

9.) ¦(FOR HAIR)¦

BrE a small metal or plastic object that holds your hair in place