slurp
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
an intake of food or drink with a noisy sucking sound.
He finished his milk in about three slurps.
-
any lapping or splashing sound.
the slurp of the waves against the hull.
verb
noun
Etymology
Origin of slurp
First recorded in 1640–50, slurp is from the Dutch word slurpen (v.)
Explanation
If you suck your food noisily into your mouth, you slurp it. In Japan, it's considered good manners to slurp your noodles. Don't try that in England! There are some foods and drinks that you'll almost inevitably slurp, like hot soup and thick, cold milkshakes. Although fastidious eaters in the US might consider it bad form to slurp the foam off your cappuccino or slurp up the last few ramen noodles from your bowl, in some cultures it shows appreciation for your food. Slurp comes from the imitative Dutch word slurpen.
Vocabulary lists containing slurp
"On the Menu" and "Find the Adaptations"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The waiter explained how to eat them — pinch the top, slurp carefully — which is perfect for first-timers.
From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025
The fish can withstand extreme temperature and salinity changes, and can even slurp air from the water surface if the conditions force them to.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2025
Like our babies, maggots can’t chew, so they vomit digestive enzymes onto the wound, dissolving the now-loosened tissue into a tasty slurry, which they can slurp up.
From Slate • Feb. 25, 2024
Most lunch breaks, he drives 20 to 30 minutes to more-established parts of Shenzhen to slurp beef noodles in family-owned restaurants before racing back to work.
From Reuters • Nov. 16, 2023
I crack them and slurp them down raw out of the shell.
From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
