/ slæʃ; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb [ vn ]
1.
to make a long cut with a sharp object, especially in a violent way
SYN slit :
Someone had slashed the tyres on my car.
She tried to kill herself by slashing her wrists.
We had to slash our way through the undergrowth with sticks.
2.
[ often passive ] (often used in newspapers) to reduce sth by a large amount :
to slash costs / prices / fares, etc.
The workforce has been slashed by half.
➡ note at cut
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PHRASAL VERBS
- slash at sb/sth (with sth)
■ noun
1.
[ C ] a sharp movement made with a knife, etc. in order to cut sb/sth
2.
[ C ] a long narrow wound or cut :
a slash across his right cheek
( figurative )
Her mouth was a slash of red lipstick.
3.
[ C ] ( BrE also ob·lique ) the symbol (/) used to show alternatives, as in lunch and/or dinner and 4/5 people and to write fractions , as in ¾
—see also backslash , forward slash
4.
a slash [ sing. ] ( BrE , slang ) an act of urinating :
He's just nipped out to have a slash.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : perhaps imitative, or from Old French esclachier break in pieces. The noun dates from the late 16th cent.