Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense slopes, present participle sloping, past tense, past participle sloped
1. countable noun
A slope is the side of a mountain, hill, or valley.
Saint-Christo is perched on a mountain slope.
...the lower slopes of the Himalayas. [+ of]
2. countable noun [usually singular]
A slope is a surface that is at an angle, so that one end is higher than the other.
The street must have been on a slope.
3. verb
If a surface slopes, it is at an angle, so that one end is higher than the other.
The bank sloped down sharply to the river. [VERB adverb/preposition]
The garden sloped quite steeply. [VERB]
Synonyms: slant, incline, drop away, fall More Synonyms of slope
slopingadjective
...a brick building, with a sloping roof.
...the gently sloping beach.
Synonyms: slanting, leaning, inclined, inclining More Synonyms of slope
4. verb
If something slopes, it leans to the right or to the left rather than being upright.
The writing sloped backwards. [VERB adverb/preposition]
He wonders why the digits on his calculator slope to the right. [VERB adverb/preposition]
5. countable noun [usually singular]
The slope of something is the angle at which it slopes.
The slope increases as you go up the curve.
...a slope of ten degrees. [+ of]
6. verb
If someone slopesinto or out of a place, they enter or leave it quickly and quietly, especially because they are trying to avoid or escape something.
[informal]
She sloped off quietly on Saturday afternoon. [VERB adverb/preposition]
They sloped into their hotel at 6am. [VERB adverb/preposition]
7. See also ski slope
8. slippery slope
More Synonyms of slope
slope in British English
(sləʊp)
verb
1.
to lie or cause to lie at a slanting or oblique angle
2. (intransitive)
(esp of natural features) to follow an inclined course
many paths sloped down the hillside
3. (intr; foll by off, away, etc)
to go furtively
4. (transitive) military
(formerly) to hold (a rifle) in the slope position (esp in the command slope arms)
noun
5.
an inclined portion of ground
6. (plural)
hills or foothills
7.
any inclined surface or line
8.
the degree or amount of such inclination
9. mathematics
a.
(of a line) the tangent of the angle between the line and another line parallel to the x-axis
b.
the first derivative of the equation of a curve at a given point
10.
(formerly) the position adopted for British military drill when the rifle is rested on the shoulder
11. US offensive, slang
a person from Southeast Asia, esp a Vietnamese
Derived forms
sloper (ˈsloper)
noun
sloping (ˈsloping)
adjective
slopingly (ˈslopingly)
adverb
slopingness (ˈslopingness)
noun
Word origin
C15: short for aslope, perhaps from the past participle of Old English āslūpan to slip away, from slūpan to slip
slope in American English
(sloʊp)
noun
1.
a piece of ground that is not flat or level; rising or falling ground
2.
any inclined line, surface, position, etc.; slant
3.
a.
deviation from the horizontal or vertical
b.
the amount or degree of this
4. Slang
a native of East Asia, often, specif., of Vietnam
a vulgar term of hostility and contempt
5. US
the land area that drains into a given ocean
6. Ancient Mathematics
a.
the trigonometric tangent of the positive angle formed between a given straight line and the x-axis of a pair of Cartesian coordinates
b.
the slope of the tangent line to a given curve at a designated point
verb intransitiveWord forms: sloped or ˈsloping
7.
to have an upward or downward inclination; take an oblique direction; incline; slant
8. Chiefly British, Informal
to go or move (off, away, etc.), esp. in a leisurely or furtive way
verb transitive
9.
to cause to slope
adjective
10. OLD-FASHIONED, Poetic
that slopes; slanting; inclined
Derived forms
sloper (ˈsloper)
noun
Word origin
ME < aslope, sloping (mistaken as a slope) < OE aslopen, pp. of aslupan, to slip away < slupan, to glide: see sloop
More idioms containing
slope
on a slippery slope
COBUILD Collocations
slope
gentle slope
steep slope
In other languages
slope
British English: slope /sləʊp/ NOUN
A slope is a surface that is at an angle, so that one end is higher than the other.
The house was built on a slope.
American English: slope
Arabic: مُنْحَدِر
Brazilian Portuguese: inclinação
Chinese: 斜坡
Croatian: kosina
Czech: svah
Danish: skrænt
Dutch: helling
European Spanish: pendiente cuesta
Finnish: rinne
French: pente
German: Hang
Greek: πλαγιά
Italian: pendio
Japanese: 坂
Korean: 비탈
Norwegian: skråning
Polish: nachylenie
European Portuguese: inclinação
Romanian: pantă
Russian: Склон or скат
Latin American Spanish: pendiente
Swedish: backe
Thai: พื้นที่ลาดเอียง
Turkish: yokuş
Ukrainian: схил
Vietnamese: dốc
All related terms of 'slope'
dry slope
an artificial ski slope used for tuition and practice
ski slope
A ski slope is a sloping surface which you can ski down, either on a snow-covered mountain or on a specially made structure .
bunny slope
(in skiing) a nursery slope
steep slope
A slope is the side of a mountain, hill , or valley .
gentle slope
A slope is the side of a mountain, hill , or valley .
natural slope
the maximum angle at which soil will lie in a bank without slipping
nursery slope
gentle slopes used by beginners in skiing
slippery slope
If someone is on a slippery slope , they are involved in a course of action that is difficult to stop and that will eventually lead to failure or trouble .
dry-ski slope
A dry ski slope is a slope made of an artificial substance on which you can practise skiing.
glidepath
the approach path of an aircraft when landing , usually defined by a radar beam
on a slippery slope
involved in a course of action that cannot be stopped and that will lead to failure or serious trouble
Chinese translation of 'slope'
slope
(sləup)
n(c)
(= gentle hill) 斜坡 (xiépō) (个(個), gè)
(= side of mountain) 坡 (pō)
(= slant) 坡度 (pōdù)
(= ski slope) 滑雪坡 (huáxuěpō)
vi
to slope down向下倾(傾)斜 (xiàngxià qīngxié)
on a slope在斜坡上 (zài xiépō shang)
to slope to the right/left向右/左倾(傾)斜 (xiàng yòu/zuǒ qīngxié)