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sla sh and bu rn also slash-and-burn N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] Slash and burn is a method of farming that involves clearing land by destroying and burning all the trees and plants on it, farming there for a short time, and then moving on to clear a new piece of land. □  Traditional slash and burn farming methods have exhausted the soil.

slat /slæ t/ (slats ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Slats are narrow pieces of wood, metal, or plastic, usually with spaces between them, that are part of things such as Venetian blinds or cupboard doors.

slate /sle I t/ (slates , slating , slated )

1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Slate is a dark-grey rock that can be easily split into thin layers. Slate is often used for covering roofs. □  … a stone-built cottage, with a traditional slate roof.

2 N‑COUNT A slate is one of the small flat pieces of slate that are used for covering roofs.

3 N‑COUNT A slate is a list of candidates for an election, usually from the same party. □ [+ of ] The leadership want to present a single slate of candidates to be approved in an open vote.

4 V-PASSIVE If something is slated to happen, it is planned to happen at a particular time or on a particular occasion. [mainly AM ] □ [be V -ed to-inf] He was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. □ [be V -ed + for ] Controversial energy measures are slated for Senate debate within days.

5 VERB [usu passive] If something is slated , it is criticized very severely. [BRIT , JOURNALISM ] □ [be V -ed] His new restaurant has been slated by a top food critic.

6 PHRASE If you start with a clean slate , you do not take account of previous mistakes or failures and make a fresh start. □  The proposal is to pay everything you owe, so that you can start with a clean slate.

7 PHRASE If you wipe the slate clean , you decide to forget previous mistakes, failures, or debts and to start again. □  Why not wipe the slate clean and start all over again?

slath|er /slæ ðə ^r / (slathers , slathering , slathered ) VERB If you slather something with a substance, or slather a substance onto something, you put the substance on in a thick layer. □ [V n with adv] If your skin is dry, you have to slather on moisturiser to soften it. □ [be V -ed prep] …pieces of toast slathered with butter and marmalade. [Also V n prep]

slat|ted /slæ t I d/ ADJ Something that is slatted is made with slats. □  …slatted window blinds.

slaugh|ter /slɔː tə ^r / (slaughters , slaughtering , slaughtered )

1 VERB [usu passive] If large numbers of people or animals are slaughtered , they are killed in a way that is cruel or unnecessary. □ [be V -ed] Thirty four people were slaughtered while queuing up to cast their votes. ● N‑UNCOUNT Slaughter is also a noun. □ [+ of ] …a war where the slaughter of civilians was commonplace.

2 VERB To slaughter animals such as cows and sheep means to kill them for their meat. □ [V n] Lack of chicken feed means that chicken farms are having to slaughter their stock. ● N‑UNCOUNT Slaughter is also a noun. □  More than 491,000 sheep were exported for slaughter last year.

slaughter|house /slɔː tə ^r haʊs/ (slaughterhouses ) N‑COUNT A slaughterhouse is a place where animals are killed for their meat.

Slav /slɑː v/ (Slavs ) N‑COUNT A Slav is a member of any of the peoples of Eastern Europe who speak a Slavonic language.

slave /sle I v/ (slaves , slaving , slaved )

1 N‑COUNT A slave is someone who is the property of another person and has to work for that person. □  The state of Liberia was formed a century and a half ago by freed slaves from the United States.