To creep means ‘to move slowly with the body close to the ground,’ ‘to approach slowly and without getting noticed’ or ‘to become noticed slowly over time.’ A creep is of course the act of creeping, but, as a slang term it is also a word for someone you find very strange or unpleasant. This slang sense is more common in the US, where it can also describe a person who makes us uncomfortable, or…
A flick is a light, sudden tap, as with a finger or a whip, and also the sound made by that tap. It is also a rapid movement. As a verb, to flick means ‘to strike with a light and sharp stroke,’ ‘to cause to move with such a stroke,’ or ‘to operate with such a stroke.’ If you flick through something, like pages, it means that you turn them quickly or idly. Unrelatedly, flick is a colloquial word for movie, although this sense is…
We’re pretty sure you know that a word is a unit of language. However, it has many other meanings, like a ‘short talk,’ ‘a reprimand,’ ‘a promise or pledge,’ or any expression or utterance. News or rumor can also be word, and so can a password and an order or command. Informally, it can be combined with the first letter of…
If something is tight it means that it is secure and not easily moved, tense, firm, or that it fits too closely. Figuratively, it can also mean ‘something difficult to deal with’ and ‘that allows little time or space in between things.’ If we say some part of our bodies feels tight, that means it feels tense or painful. Informally, if someone is tight, it means that they are not generous with money. As a slang term, it means that…
A vice is a habit or practice that’s considered immoral. Immoral or depraved behavior or sexual immorality is also called vice, the latter relating especially to prostitution. A fault or a defect can also be called a vice and so can a personal habit that is not that harmful. As a prefix, it combines with nouns to form…
As a verb, to toot means ‘to make a horn or whistle make a short sound’ or ‘to make any sound that resembles that of a horn.’ As a noun, a toot is the act of tooting. In US English, as a slang term, toot means ‘cocaine’ and as a verb it means ‘to take a drug by snorting,’ but these meanings are now…
To slay means ‘to kill violently.’ These days, it is quite a literary term, but it is also used, especially in US English, as a synonym for murder, particularly in newspaper reports. Figuratively, it means ‘to destroy or extinguish.’ Informally, slay is used to mean ‘to impress strongly or to overwhelm, especially with something funny…
