slipper

1 of 2

adjective

slip·​per ˈsli-pər How to pronounce slipper (audio)
chiefly dialectal
: slippery

slipper

2 of 2

noun

: a light low-cut shoe that is easily slipped on the foot
slippered
ˈsli-pərd How to pronounce slipper (audio)
adjective

Examples of slipper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Other Japanese touches include the toilets of course, yukata robes and slippers. —Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025 The couple then got engaged at Disney World in October 2014, in front in front of Cinderella's Castle with the engagement ring encased in a glass slipper. —Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 24 July 2025 Some orchids can mimic other things, like the Monkey orchid (looks just like a monkey), Venus slipper orchid, Donkey Orchid, and the Flying Duck orchid. —Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2025 These flats feature a classic ballet slipper design and are highly flexible for all-day comfort. —Nora Colomer May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for slipper

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English slipir, sliper "causing something to slide or slip, deceitful," going back to Old English slipor, sliper, going back to Germanic *slip-ra- (whence also Old High German sleffar "sloping downward"), adjective derivative from the base of Germanic *sleipan- (strong verb) "to slide, slip" (whence Middle Dutch slīpen "to smooth, polish, sharpen," Middle Low German, "to glide, sink, slip," Old High German slīfan "to slide, pass away, decline"), of uncertain origin

Note: The adjective slipper has been effectively replaced by its derivative slippery, though the former was in existence in dialect late enough to be noticed by the Survey of English Dialects, which recorded it in Devon and Cornwall (see Survey of English Dialects: The Dictionary and Grammar, Routledge, 1994, s.v.). — The Germanic verb has been compared with Greek olibrón, glossed by Hesychius with olisthērón "slippery," though the assumption of an Indo-European etymon *h3slib-ro-, with both *b and a laryngeal preceding a sibilant, seems questionable. Parallel to *sleipan- is a verb *sleupan- "to creep, glide," which has been explained as a secondary formation based on near-synonymous *sleuban- (see slip entry 5, sleeve). As all these bases are ultimately of phonesthemic origin and can presumably be reshaped by variation of phonesthemic origin, it is difficult to disentangle inheritance from innovation. Compare slip entry 1.

Noun

Middle English slypper, from slippen "to slip entry 1" + -er -er entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slipper was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing slipper

Rhymes for slipper

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Browse Nearby Words

slipped wing
slipper
slipper animalcule
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Cite this Entry

“Slipper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slipper. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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Kids Definition

slipper

noun
slip·​per
ˈslip-ər
: a light low shoe without laces that is easily slipped on or off
slippered
-ərd
adjective

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