Idiom
slut's wool
Vulgar
Meaning
Accumulated dust, fluff, hair, etc., that tends to occur indoors in areas not regularly dusted, such as under heavy furniture.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I found some slut's wool under the sofa while cleaning.”
“The cat chases a piece of slut's wool across the wooden floor.”
“A ball of slut's wool rolls out from under your bed.”
“She moved the heavy wardrobe and discovered a thick layer of slut's wool gathering in the corner.”
“You should check the back of the refrigerator because slut's wool often builds up near the motor and blocks the airflow.”
“If you do not vacuum behind the radiator regularly, you will notice gray clumps of slut's wool starting to form.”
“The neglected attic was filled with cobwebs and clumps of slut's wool that had accumulated undisturbed for several decades.”
Examples
simple
“I found some slut's wool under the sofa while cleaning.”
“The cat chases a piece of slut's wool across the wooden floor.”
“A ball of slut's wool rolls out from under your bed.”
contextual
“She moved the heavy wardrobe and discovered a thick layer of slut's wool gathering in the corner.”
“You should check the back of the refrigerator because slut's wool often builds up near the motor and blocks the airflow.”
“If you do not vacuum behind the radiator regularly, you will notice gray clumps of slut's wool starting to form.”
complex
“The neglected attic was filled with cobwebs and clumps of slut's wool that had accumulated undisturbed for several decades.”
Origin
From the archaic sense of *slut* for a slovenly or untidy person, combined with *wool*. The term serves as a compound for the accumulations of household dust and lint found beneath furniture, suggesting a domestic environment where the standard of cleanliness has been allowed to lapse.
Key words
Related idioms
- Updated