Slippery
/ˈslɪp.ə.ri/noun
Tending to slide or cause sliding; difficult to hold or pin down.
Did you know?The core Germanic root behind *slippery* also lives in words like *slip*, *slobber*, and *slovenly*—a whole family built around things that slide, ooze, or fall apart.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*slīpaną
“to slip, slide”
Old English
OE
slipor
“slippery, smooth, glossy”
Middle English
ME
slippery / sliperi
“slippery; hard to grasp or hold”
Modern English
English
slippery
“tending to cause slipping or difficult to catch or pin down”