Word
slew
US/ˈsɫu/
UK/slˈuː/
Definition
n. a large number or amount of something. You use this when you want to say there are many things happening or appearing at once.
n. a large number, quantity, or amount. Often used to describe a sudden influx of items or events.
Examples
“The company released a slew of new products this morning.”
“After the news broke, the journalist received a slew of emails from concerned citizens.”
“The legislative session concluded with a slew of last-minute amendments that left many observers confused about the final version of the bill.”
Examples
simple
“The company released a slew of new products this morning.”
contextual
“After the news broke, the journalist received a slew of emails from concerned citizens.”
complex
“The legislative session concluded with a slew of last-minute amendments that left many observers confused about the final version of the bill.”
Usage
Typically used in the singular form with the preposition 'of' ('a slew of').
Real-World Examples
“That means ultra-conservative tactics, plus a slew of central defenders and outside backs, not something that would normally excite Madridistas.” “You imagine this drama is setting itself up for something beyond the slew of familiar theories.” Etymology
In all senses, a mostly British spelling of slue.
Attested since at least 1708, a North American variant of slough.
Ablaut of slay, from Middle English slew, sleugh, past of Middle English sleen. Replaced earlier Middle English slough, slogh, from Old English slōg (past of Old English slēan (“to hit, strike, slay”)), due to the influence of knew, drew, etc. More at slay.
Borrowed from Irish slua (“crowd”) and Scottish Gaelic sluagh (“crowd”), from Middle Irish slúag, from Old Irish slóg, from Proto-Celtic slougos (“troop, army”), from Proto-Indo-European slowgʰos, *slowgos (“entourage”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/slew