# slur

Pronunciation: say "SLUR" US /slɜɹ/, UK /slɜː/

## Noun

1. A deeply offensive, socially unacceptable word aimed at a group of people, such as an ethnic group or people of a particular sexual orientation.
   - Simple: A very hurtful word used to insult a whole group of people, such as people of one race.
   - _The comedian apologized after a clip surfaced of him using a racial slur on stage._
   - _Moderators remove posts containing slurs aimed at gay and transgender users._
3. A running together of words; speech that is poorly articulated.
   - Simple: A way of talking where the words run together and are hard to understand.
   - _The doctor noticed a faint slur in the patient's speech and ordered a scan._
   - _He had been drinking, but there was no slur in his speech as he read the statement._
4. An insulting or disparaging remark or suggestion, especially one that damages a person's reputation.
   - Simple: A rude or unfair remark that insults someone or harms their good name.
   - _Under his breath he added a slur about her accent, just loud enough to be heard._
   - _She shrugged off his slur that she had only got the job through her father, and went on with the lesson._
6. In music, a curved line over or under two or more notes showing they are played or sung smoothly without a break; also, a group of notes played this way.
   - Simple: In music, a curved line over notes that means play them smoothly together, or the notes played like this.
   - _The editor added a slur over the phrase so the violinists would play it in one bow._
   - _A long slur arches over the opening bars of the melody._

## Verb

2. To pronounce words or sounds indistinctly, running them together.
   - Simple: To say words in an unclear way so that they run together.
   - _By midnight the best man was slurring his toast, and the guests began to wince._
   - _Patients who suddenly slur their speech should be checked for a stroke._
5. To make insulting or damaging remarks about someone or something, or to tarnish a reputation.
   - Simple: To say insulting things about someone or harm their good name.
   - _Critics slurred the young composer as a mere imitator of his teacher._
   - _Campaign ads that slur an opponent's family rarely win votes._
7. To play notes legato, connecting them smoothly without separate articulation.
   - Simple: To play music notes smoothly, without a break between them.
   - _Violinists slur the passage by playing all six notes in a single bow._
   - _Unless the score says otherwise, the flutist tongues each note instead of slurring them._
8. To cover up or disguise something, or to pass over it lightly so that it gets little notice.
   - Simple: To hide something, or mention it so quickly that people don't notice it.

## Other meanings

- (noun) A gradual blending together of separate things, such as heartbeats in certain medical disorders.
- (verb) To cheat or trick, as a gambler does by sliding a die instead of letting it roll.
- (verb) In printing, to blur, smear or double an impression, as when the sheet slips at the moment of printing.

## Origin

From Middle English sloor, “thin or fluid mud.” Compare Middle Low German sluren, “to trail in mud,” and dialectal Norwegian sløra, “to be careless.” The sense of an offensive term was influenced by phrases such as racial slur and ethnic slur.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/slur (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).