slough
slough Lexical Profile
slough Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To shed, cast off, or molt an outer layer of dead skin or tissue (often followed by "off").
"As the young snake grows, it periodically sloughs its old skin to reveal vibrant new scales."
To get rid of, discard, or shake off something undesirable, burdensome, or obsolete (often followed by "off").
"The company managed to slough off its outdated reputation by investing heavily in clean energy."
• noun
A swamp, bog, muddy hollow, or slow-moving backwater channel in a wetland, marsh, or river delta.
"Herons waded through the shallow waters of the slough in search of frogs and small fish."
An outer layer of dead skin shed by a reptile or amphibian, or a mass of dead tissue separating from a wound.
"The biologist found the translucent slough of a rattlesnake tangled in the dry brush."
A state of deep moral degradation, spiritual dejection, or hopeless stagnation.
"After months of unemployment, he struggled to pull himself out of a slough of despair."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Slough" represents two etymologically distinct words with three pronunciations: as a verb or noun meaning to shed skin, it is pronounced /slʌf/ (rhyming with "tough"); as a noun meaning a swamp or a state of despair, it is pronounced /slaʊ/ (rhyming with "plow") in British English or /sluː/ (rhyming with "blue") in North American wetland senses.
• Rhymes for slough
Word Origin & Etymology
The sense relating to a swamp or despair comes from Old English "slōh" (muddy place, mire), while the sense relating to shedding skin comes from Middle English "slughe", related to Middle High German "slūch" (snake skin).