I .
/ slʌf; NAmE / verb
[ vn ] slough sth (off) to lose a layer of dead skin, etc. :
a snake sloughing its skin
Slough off dead skin cells by using a facial scrub.
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- slough sth off
II .
/ slaʊ; NAmE sluː/ noun ( literary )
1.
[ sing. ] slough of misery, despair, etc. a state of sadness with no hope
2.
[ C ] a very soft wet area of land
••
WORD ORIGIN
I . Middle English (as a noun denoting a skin, especially the outer skin shed by a snake): perhaps related to Low German slu(we) husk, peel. The verb dates from the early 18th cent.
II . Old English slōh , slō(g) , of unknown origin.