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Definition of slay verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

slay

verb
 
/sleɪ/
 
/sleɪ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they slay
 
/sleɪ/
 
/sleɪ/
he / she / it slays
 
/sleɪz/
 
/sleɪz/
past simple slew
 
/sluː/
 
/sluː/
past participle slain
 
/sleɪn/
 
/sleɪn/
-ing form slaying
 
/ˈsleɪɪŋ/
 
/ˈsleɪɪŋ/
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  1. [transitive] slay somebody/something (old-fashioned or literary) to kill somebody/something in a war or a fight
    • St George slew the dragon.
  2. [transitive] slay somebody (especially North American English) (used especially in newspapers) to murder somebody
    • Two passengers were slain by the hijackers.
  3. [transitive] slay somebody (informal) to have a strong effect on somebody, especially to make them laugh
    • Those old movies still slay me!
  4. Word OriginOld English slēan ‘strike, kill’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch slaan and German schlagen.
See slay in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
previously
adverb
 
 
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