I. ˈsläp noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English sloppe, probably from Middle Dutch slop; akin to Old English ofer slop surplice, stole, slop, Old Norse sloppr slop and probably to Old English slūpan to slip — more at sleeve
1. : a loose covering garment for workmen (as a smock, smock frock, apron, or overall)
2.
a. slops plural : the short full breeches worn by men of fashion in the late 16th century
b. dialect : loose baggy trousers or a trouser leg — usually used in plural
3.
a. slops plural : clothing and other articles sold to sailors : a ship's small stores
b. : cheap ready-made clothing — usually used in plural
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English sloppe, probably from Old English sloppe dung (as in cū-sloppe cowslip, literally, cow's dung); akin to Old English slyppe, slypa slime, pulp, paste — more at slip
1. : a mud puddle : soft mud : slush
2. : thin tasteless drink or liquid food — usually used in plural
the thin slops provided on soup lines — American Guide Series: Oregon
had eaten the prison slop without even suffering the gnawing pain of diarrhea — Douglass Cater
3. : the spilling or splashing of something liquid or moist or the material spilled or splashed
washing up with slops of water and bashing of plates — Richard Llewellyn
shoves her glass in its own slop over the bar — Brendan Gill
4.
a.
(1) : food waste fed to animals : garbage
watching his pig eat slops — P.E.Green
(2) : a thin gruel for feeding animals
a slop of skim milk and bran
b. : excreted body waste — usually used in plural
emptying other people's slops — John Morrison
5. : stillage
6. : sentimental or undiscerning effusiveness in speech or writing : gush
III. verb
( slopped ; slopped ; slopping ; slops )
transitive verb
1.
a. : to spill (something) from a container
b.
(1) : to splash (someone or something) with a liquid
passing cars kept slopping him as they went through puddles
(2) : to cause (a liquid) to splash
slopped water from the pail he carried
2. : to slobber or spill liquid on
beer drinkers kept slopping the bar
3. : to ladle, serve, or dish out clumsily or messily
his red, swollen hands slopped oatmeal into our plates — Ruth Domino
4. : to eat or drink greedily or noisily : lap up : gobble
slopped up great tablespoonfuls of cereal — Hodding Carter
so long as they could yap and slop beer — Mickey Spillane
5. : to feed with slops
slopped hogs … to get the money to go to college — Newsweek
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to plod or tramp in mud or slush
slopped along muddy roads
b. : to slouch or lounge about in slack, slatternly, or slovenly style
continental soldiers slopped about in a most unmilitary manner — Bruce Marshall
for TV, they just slop around in the living room — Newsweek
2. : to spill or splash over an edge (as of a container)
carried the soup so unsteadily that it slopped over
3. : to go to excess in expression or conduct : be effusive or indiscriminate : gush — used with over
when an ambitious feature writer slops over — F.L.Mott
4. : to exceed, overrun, or overflow boundaries or limits — used with over
my personal interests slop over into related fields — American Council of Learned Society Newsletter
5.
a. : to move or fit loosely
the plug gage was worn and had begun to slop
the spindle slopped in its bearing
b. : to make a rhythmic slapping sound (as of a loose-fitting machine part or of plashing waves)
could hear his oars slopping in the rowlocks