I. slide 1 S3 W3 /slaɪd/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle slid /slɪd/)
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: slidan ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] 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 something 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 . [intransitive, transitive 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 something into/out of etc something
He slid the gun into his pocket.
3 . [intransitive] if prices, amounts, rates etc slide, they become lower SYN drop OPP rise :
Stocks slid a further 3% on the major markets today.
4 . [intransitive] 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 something slide
a) to let a situation get gradually worse:
Management has let safety standards slide at the factory.
b) spoken to ignore a mistake, problem, remark etc, without becoming angry or trying to punish it:
Well, I guess we can let it slide this time.
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THESAURUS
▪ slide to move smoothly over a surface while continuing to touch it:
The glass slid off the tray and crashed to the floor.
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The kids were having fun sliding around on the polished floor.
▪ slip to slide a short distance accidentally, and fall or lose your balance slightly:
Be careful you don’t slip on the ice.
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She slipped and broke her ankle.
▪ skid to slide sideways or forwards in a way that is difficult to control - used especially about a moving vehicle:
He slammed on the brakes and the car skidded to a halt.
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Go slowly in wet or icy weather, because it’s easy to skid.
▪ glide to move smoothly and quietly across water or a smooth surface, especially in a graceful way:
A swan was gliding across the lake.
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The ship glided into port.
▪ slither to slide in an awkward way, for example on a rough or muddy surface. Also used to describe the movement of a snake as it goes from side to side along the ground:
Tom slithered down the bank into the water.
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The snake slithered away and disappeared under a rock.
II. slide 2 S3 BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . FOR CHILDREN a large structure with steps leading to the top of a long sloping surface that children can slide down
2 . DECREASE [usually singular] a decrease in prices, amounts etc OPP 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 British English a small metal or plastic object that holds your hair in place