SLAM (slammed, slamming)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: slammed    , slamming   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does slam mean? 

• SLAM (noun)
  The noun SLAM has 4 senses:

1. winning all or all but one of the tricks in bridge

2. the noise made by the forceful impact of two objects

3. a forceful impact that makes a loud noise

4. an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect

  Familiarity information: SLAM used as a noun is uncommon.

• SLAM (verb)
  The verb SLAM has 4 senses:

1. close violently

2. strike violently

3. dance the slam dance

4. throw violently

  Familiarity information: SLAM used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SLAM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Winning all or all but one of the tricks in bridge

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

slam; sweep

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

triumph; victory (a successful ending of a struggle or contest)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "slam"):

grand slam (winning all of the tricks in a hand of bridge)

little slam; small slam (winning all but one of the tricks in a hand of bridge)

Holonyms ("slam" is a part of...):

bridge (any of various card games based on whist for four players)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The noise made by the forceful impact of two objects

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

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

noise (sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound))

Derivation:

slam (close violently)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A forceful impact that makes a loud noise

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

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

impact (the striking of one body against another)

Derivation:

slam (strike violently)

slam (throw violently)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

barb; dig; gibe; jibe; shaft; shot; slam

Context example:

she takes a dig at me every chance she gets

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

comment; input; remark (a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "slam"):

cheap shot (an unnecessarily aggressive and unfair remark directed at a defenseless person)

• SLAM (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they slam    ... he / she / it slams   
Past simple: slammed   
Past participle: slammed   
-ing form: slamming   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Close violently

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bang; slam

Context example:

He slammed the door shut

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

close; shut (move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They want to slam the doors

Derivation:

slam (the noise made by the forceful impact of two objects)

slammer (a person who closes things violently)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Strike violently

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bang; slam

Context example:

slam the ball

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

hit (deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

slam (a forceful impact that makes a loud noise)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Dance the slam dance

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

mosh; slam; slam dance; thrash

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

dance; trip the light fantastic; trip the light fantastic toe (move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue slam

Sense 4

Meaning:

Throw violently

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

flap down; slam

Context example:

He slammed the book on the table

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

throw (propel through the air)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

slam (a forceful impact that makes a loud noise)

 Context examples 

"Sneak-thief!" Martin retorted, slamming the door as he passed out.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

The door slammed behind him. For a long minute there was silence.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Does the patient slam doors, kick furniture, throw things?

(NPI - Slam doors, Kick Furniture, Throw Things, NCI Thesaurus)

"There's Mother. Hide the basket, quick!" cried Jo, as a door slammed and steps sounded in the hall.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

A door slammed in the distance.

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

He hastened upstairs, and a few minutes later I heard the slam of the hall door, which told me that he was off once more upon his congenial hunt.

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

In this hypothesis, carbon from meteorites that slammed into the young Earth interacted with nitrogen in the atmosphere to form hydrogen cyanide.

(Scientists identify exoplanets where life could develop as it did on Earth, University of Cambridge)

At last in strode the captain, slammed the door behind him, without looking to the right or left, and marched straight across the room to where his breakfast awaited him.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

When the landmass that today is the Indian subcontinent slammed into Asia some 50 million years ago, the collision changed the configuration of the continents and altered global climate.

(Tectonic collision 50 million years ago led to widespread ocean changes, National Science Foundation)

The more isolated star launches faster "jets," or outflows of material that slam into the gas and dust around it.

(Loneliest Young Star Seen by Spitzer and WISE, NASA)