Library / English Dictionary

SLOUCH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A stooping carriage in standing and walking

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("slouch" is a kind of...):

bearing; carriage; posture (characteristic way of bearing one's body)

Derivation:

slouch (walk slovenly)

slouch (assume a drooping posture or carriage)

slouchy (lacking stiffness in form or posture)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An incompetent person; usually used in negative constructions

Example:

he's no slouch when it comes to baseball

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("slouch" is a kind of...):

incompetent; incompetent person (someone who is not competent to take effective action)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Walk slovenly

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "slouch" is one way to...):

walk (use one's feet to advance; advance by steps)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

The children slouch to the playground

Derivation:

slouch (a stooping carriage in standing and walking)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Assume a drooping posture or carriage

Synonyms:

slouch; slump

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "slouch" is one way to...):

droop; flag; sag; swag (droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence examples:

The children slouch in the rocking chair

There slouch some children in the rocking chair

Derivation:

slouch (a stooping carriage in standing and walking)

sloucher (a person who slouches; someone with a drooping carriage)

Credits

 Context examples: 

‘Bless you, sir, I know where all my old friends are,’ said the fellow with a sinister smile, and he slouched off after the maid to the kitchen.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In spite of himself, he appeared abashed by my aunt's indignant tears, and came slouching out of the garden.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

After that, he slouched over his horse in his usual manner; and made no other reference to the subject except, half an hour afterwards, taking a piece of chalk from his pocket, and writing up, inside the tilt of the cart, Clara Peggotty—apparently as a private memorandum.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)