slag

¹

[ slag ]

noun

1. Also called cinder. the more or less completely fused and vitrified matter separated during the reduction of a metal from its ore.
2. the scoria from a volcano.
3. waste left over after the re-sorting of coal.

verb (used with object)

, slagged, slag·ging.

1. to convert into slag.
2. Metallurgy. to remove slag from (a steel bath).

verb (used without object)

, slagged, slag·ging.

1. to form slag; become a slaglike mass.

slag

²

[ slag ]

noun

1. British Slang. an abusive woman.

slag

/ slæɡ /

noun

1. Also calledcinder the fused material formed during the smelting or refining of metals by combining the flux with gangue, impurities in the metal, etc. It usually consists of a mixture of silicates with calcium, phosphorus, sulphur, etc See also basic slag
2. a mass of rough fragments of pyroclastic rock and cinders derived from a volcanic eruption; scoria
3. a mixture of shale, clay, coal dust, and other mineral waste produced during coal mining
4. slang.
   a coarse or dissipated girl or woman

verb

1. slang.
   tr usually foll by off to abuse (someone) verbally
2. slang.
   intr to spit

slag

/ slăg /

1. The vitreous mass left as a residue by the smelting of metallic ore. It consists mostly of the siliceous and aluminous impurities from the iron ore.

Derived Forms

• ˈslaggy, adjective
• ˈslagging, noun

Other Words From

• slaga·ble adjective
• slaga·bili·ty noun
• slagless adjective
• slagless·ness noun
• un·slagged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of slag¹

1545–55; < Middle Low German slagge; cognate with German Schlacke dross, slag; slack ²

Origin of slag²

First recorded in 1780–90; originally an argot word for a worthless person or a thug; perhaps identical with slag ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of slag¹

C16: from Middle Low German slagge, perhaps from slagen to slay

Example Sentences

Among the many sounds and smells of the steelworks, Steve's most notable memory is the smell of "rotten eggs", which comes from the slag that's formed during the steel-making process.

From BBC

"I always remember the smell. My father used to smash up the slag from the torpedoes and he had to break it up with his crane. That smell has lived with me for the rest of my my life."

From BBC

“There were high concentrations of slag in these, which is a glass-like material that makes them maybe a little bit more brittle in the cold,” she says.

From BBC

The Cambridge researchers found that used cement is an effective substitute for lime flux, which is used in steel recycling to remove impurities and normally ends up as a waste product known as slag.

From Science Daily

"We found the combination of cement clinker and iron oxide is an excellent steelmaking slag because it foams and it flows well," said Dunant.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• lava