slip ‧ per ‧ y /ˈslɪp ə ri/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ slip , ↑ slipper , ↑ slippage , ↑ slipperiness ; verb : ↑ slip ; adjective : ↑ slippery ]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: slipper 'slippery' (11-19 centuries) , from Old English slipor ]
1 . something that is slippery is difficult to hold, walk on etc because it is wet or ↑ greasy :
In places, the path can be wet and slippery.
Harry’s palms were slippery with sweat.
2 . informal someone who is slippery cannot be trusted:
Martin is a slippery customer (=someone you should not trust) so be careful what you say to him.
3 . not having one clear meaning and able to be understood in different ways:
the slippery notion of ‘standards’
4 . (be on) a/the slippery slope British English informal used to talk about a process or habit that is difficult to stop and which will develop into something extremely bad
(be on) a/the slippery slope to/towards
He is on the slippery slope to a life of crime.
—slipperiness noun [uncountable]