Part 457

make the careful magistrate The mark of slander.

B. Jonson.

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2. Disgrace; reproach; dishonor; opprobrium.

Thou slander of thy mother's heavy womb.

Shak.

3. (Law) Formerly, defamation generally, whether oral or written; in modern usage, defamation by words spoken; utterance of false, malicious, and defamatory words, tending to the damage and derogation of another; calumny. See the Note under Defamation. Burril.

Slan"der (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slandered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slandering.] 1. To defame; to injure by maliciously uttering a false report; to tarnish or impair the reputation of by false tales maliciously told or propagated; to calumniate.

O, do not slander him, for he is kind.

Shak.

2. To bring discredit or shame upon by one's acts.

Tax not so bad a voice To slander music any more than once.

Shak.

Syn. -- To asperse; defame; calumniate; vilify; malign; belie; scandalize; reproach. See Asperse.

Slan"der*er (?), n. One who slanders; a defamer; a calumniator. Jer. Taylor.

Slan"der*ous (?), a. 1. Given or disposed to slander; uttering slander. "Slanderous tongue." Shak.

2. Embodying or containing slander; calumnious; as, slanderous words, speeches, or reports.

-- Slan"der*ous*ly, adv. -- Slan"der*ous*ness, n.

Slang (?), imp. of Sling. Slung. [Archaic]

Slang, n. Any long, narrow piece of land; a promontory. [Local, Eng.] Holland.

Slang, n. [Cf. Sling.] A fetter worn on the leg by a convict. [Eng.]

Slang, n. [Said to be of Gypsy origin; but probably from Scand., and akin to E. sling; cf. Norw. sleng a slinging, an invention, device, slengja to sling, to cast, slengja kjeften (literally, to sling the jaw) to use abusive language, to use slang, slenjeord (ord = word) an insulting word, a new word that has no just reason for being.] Low, vulgar, unauthorized language; a popular but unauthorized word, phrase, or mode of expression; also, the jargon of some particular calling or class in society; low popular cant; as, the slang of the theater, of college, of sailors, etc.

Slang, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slanged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slanging.] To address with slang or ribaldry; to insult with vulgar language. [Colloq.]

Every gentleman abused by a cabman or slanged by a bargee was bound there and then to take off his coat and challenge him to fisticuffs.

London Spectator.

Slang"i*ness (?), n. Quality of being slangy.

Slan"gous (?), a. Slangy. [R.] John Bee.

Slang"-whang`er (?), n. [Slang + whang to beat.] One who uses abusive slang; a ranting partisan. [Colloq. or Humorous] W. Irving.