slink

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English slynken, sclynken, from Old English slincan (“to creep; crawl”), from Proto-Germanic *slinkaną (“to creep; crawl”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleng-, *slenk- (“to turn; wind; twist”), from Proto-Indo-European *sel- (“to sneak; crawl”). Cognate with West Frisian slinke, Dutch slinken (“to shrink; shrivel”), Low German slinken, Swedish slinka (“to glide”). Compare also German schleichen (“to slink”). More at sleek. === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /slɪŋk/ Rhymes: -ɪŋk === Verb === slink (third-person singular simple present slinks, present participle slinking, simple past and past participle slunk or slinked or (uncommon) slank) (intransitive) To sneak about furtively. (ambitransitive) To give birth to an animal prematurely. ==== Translations ==== === Noun === slink (countable and uncountable, plural slinks) (countable) A furtive sneaking motion. The young of an animal when born prematurely, especially a calf. The meat of such a prematurely born animal. (obsolete) A bastard child, one born out of wedlock. (UK, Scotland, dialect) A thievish fellow; a sneak. ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === slink (comparative more slink, superlative most slink) (Scotland) Thin; lean Synonym: slunken === Derived terms === === References === “slunk_VERB, slinked_VERB, slank_VERB”, in Google Books Ngram Viewer. === Anagrams === kilns, links == Dutch == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /slɪŋk/ Rhymes: -ɪŋk === Verb === slink inflection of slinken: first-person singular present indicative (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative imperative === Anagrams === links == Swedish == === Verb === slink imperative of slinka