Slams vs Slays - What's the difference?
slams | slays |
(slam)
----
(ergative) To shut with sudden force so as to produce a shock and noise.
(ergative) To put in or on a particular place with force and loud noise. (Often followed by a preposition such as down'', ''against'' or into.)
To strike forcefully with some implement.
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=January 18
, author=
, title=Wolverhampton 5 - 0 Doncaster
, work=BBC
(colloquial) To speak badly of; to criticize forcefully.
(basketball) To dunk forcefully, to slam dunk.
(bridge) To make a slam bid.
(card games) To defeat (opponents at cards) by winning all the tricks of a deal or a hand.
to change providers (e.g. of domain registration or telephone carrier) for a customer without clear (if any) consent.
to drink off, to drink quickly
to compete in a poetry slam
(countable) A sudden impact or blow.
(countable) The shock and noise produced by violently closing a door or other object.
* (Charles Dickens)
(countable, basketball) A slam dunk.
(countable, colloquial, US) An insult.
*, chapter=5
, title= (uncountable) The yellow iron silicate produced in alum works as a waste product.
A poetry slam.
(UK, dialect) The refuse of alum works.
(obsolete) A type of card game, also called ruff and honours.
(cards) Losing or winning all the tricks in a game.
(countable, bridge) A bid of six (small slam'') or seven (''grand slam ) in a suit or no trump.
(card games) To defeat by winning all the tricks of a deal or a hand.
(slay)
To kill, murder.
(literary) To eradicate or stamp out.
(by extension, colloquial) To defeat, overcome.
* 1956', “Giants '''Slay Bears in Pro Title Battle”, in ''Lodi News-Sentinel , 1956 December 31,
* 1985', “Redskins '''slay Giants; Thiesmann shatters leg”, in ''The Gadsden Times , 1985 November 19,
* 1993 , Jack Curry, “
(slang) To delight or overwhelm, especially with laughter.
As verbs the difference between slams and slays
is that slams is (slam) while slays is (slay).slams
English
Verb
(head)slam
English
Etymology 1
Apparently from a Scandinavian source; compare Norwegian slamre, Swedish slemma.Verb
(slamm)- Don't slam the door!
- Don't slam that trunk down on the pavement!
citation, page= , passage=But Wolves went in front when Steven Fletcher headed in Stephen Hunt's cross and it was 2-0 when Geoffrey Mujangi Bia slammed in his first for the club. }}
- Don't ever slam me in front of the boss like that again!
- Union leaders slammed the new proposals.
- Critics slammed the new film, calling it violent and meaningless.
- (Hoyle)
Synonyms
* (drink quickly) See alsoDerived terms
* slam the door on * slam on the brakesNoun
- The slam and the scowl were lost upon Sam.
Mr. Pratt's Patients, passage=“Well,” I says, “I cal'late a body could get used to Tophet if he stayed there long enough.” ¶ She flared up; the least mite of a slam at Doctor Wool was enough to set her going.}}
Etymology 2
Origin unknown.Noun
(en noun)Derived terms
* grand slamVerb
(slamm)Anagrams
* English ergative verbs ----slays
English
Verb
(head)Anagrams
* *slay
English
Verb
- The knight slew the dragon.
- Our foes must all be slain .
- You must slay these thoughts.
page 8.
page D1-5.
Yanks’ Bullpen Falls Short Again”, in The New York Times , 1993 April 21:
- The Yankees were actually slayed by two former Yankees because Rich Gossage pitched one scoreless inning in relief of Eckersley to notch his first victory.
- Ha ha! You slay me!
Usage notes
* The alternative past tense and past participle form "slayed" is most strongly associated with the slang sense, "to delight or overwhelm": *: {{quote-book, i2=*::, 1929, Harry Charles Witwer, Yes Man's Landcitation, passage="Cutey, you slayed me !" grins Jackie, working fast. "I guess that's what made the rest of 'em look so bad — you was so good!"}} * In recent use, "slayed" is also often found associated with the other senses as well. However, this is widely considered nonstandard."But slayed cannot be considered established in such use. Whether it eventually becomes established remains to be seen." — '>citation * A review of US usage 2000-2009 in COCA suggests that "slayed" is increasing in popularity, but remains less common than "slew". It is very rare in UK usage (BNC).