slosh

American  

[slosh] / slɒʃ /

verb (used without object)

1. to splash or move through water, mud, or slush.

2. (of a liquid) to move about actively within a container.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to stir or splash (something) around in a fluid.

   to slosh the mop in the pail.

2. to splash (liquid) clumsily or haphazardly.

   She sloshed tea all over her new suit. They sloshed the paint over the wall.

noun

1. watery mire or partly melted snow; slush.

2. the lap or splash of liquid.

   the slosh of waves against the shore.

3. a small quantity of liquid.

   a slosh of milk in the pail.

4. a watery or weak drink.

slosh British  

/ slɒʃ /

noun

1. watery mud, snow, etc

2. slang a heavy blow

3. the sound of splashing liquid

4. a popular dance with a traditional routine of steps, kicks, and turns performed in lines

---

verb

1. informal (tr; foll by around, on, in, etc) to throw or pour (liquid)

2. informal

   1. to shake or stir (something) in a liquid

   2. (of a person) to splash (around) in water, etc

3. slang (tr) to deal a heavy blow to

4. informal to shake (a container of liquid) or (of liquid within a container) to be shaken

Other Word Forms

• sloshy adjective

Etymology

Origin of slosh

1805–15; perhaps blend of slop ¹ and slush

Explanation

When liquid things slosh, they move with a splash. If you stumble as you're carrying a cup of coffee to the table, your coffee may slosh over the edge of the cup. Only something that's wet can slosh — water might slosh around in the bottom of a leaky rowboat, and soapsuds can slosh in a bathtub when a happy kid gets in. You can slosh tea into a mug, or slosh through puddles in your rain boots. The 1800's meaning of slosh was "slush or sludge," and the Middle English definition was "muddy place," probably from a combination of slush and slop.

Example Sentences

Even worse, because these chemicals don’t decompose, they simply slosh around, moving from our stuff to our bodies to the soil and the water—and back again.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2024

Randall Gibbs, another resident of the Sun Valley village, agreed, even as he talked about hearing waves slosh against the metal exterior of the tiny home he shares with another man and two dogs.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2024

The new images reveal how heat can move like a wave, and "slosh" back and forth, even as a material's physical matter may move in an entirely different way.

From Science Daily • Feb. 8, 2024

A slosh of olive oil and couple deft flips of the pan, and it’s ready.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 16, 2023

The slight rocking of the raft, the slosh of little waves slapping the boards beneath, and the sun diying my back makes me yawn.

From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord

Related Words

• flounder
• wade
• wallow