slipper

1 of 2

noun

slip·​per ˈsli-pər How to pronounce slipper (audio)
: a light low-cut shoe that is easily slipped on the foot
slippered
ˈsli-pərd How to pronounce slipper (audio)
adjective

slipper

2 of 2

adjective

chiefly dialectal
: slippery

Examples of slipper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Modeling the look in the floor-length mirror of her hotel room, the mom of one paired the look with a floppy white sunhat, shades, and a pair of cream slippers. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 23 Aug. 2026 Memory foam sandals, ballet slippers, and other cushy styles are on sale, too. — Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 The motor is paired with a six-speed transmission and an assist-and-slipper wet multi-plate clutch. — New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026 There were bouncers rotating at the door, people arguing about playlists and almost fist-fighting, duvets from the Chateau Marmont, a Sikh saint with his crystal xylophone, robes and slippers, Apple Pan and Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. — Courtney Love, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slipper

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English slypper, from slippen "to slip entry 1" + -er -er entry 2

Adjective

Middle English slipir, sliper "causing something to slide or slip, deceitful," going back to Old English slipor, sliper, going back to Germanic *slip-ra- (whence also Old High German sleffar "sloping downward"), adjective derivative from the base of Germanic *sleipan- (strong verb) "to slide, slip" (whence Middle Dutch slīpen "to smooth, polish, sharpen," Middle Low German, "to glide, sink, slip," Old High German slīfan "to slide, pass away, decline"), of uncertain origin

Note: The adjective slipper has been effectively replaced by its derivative slippery, though the former was in existence in dialect late enough to be noticed by the Survey of English Dialects, which recorded it in Devon and Cornwall (see Survey of English Dialects: The Dictionary and Grammar, Routledge, 1994, s.v.). — The Germanic verb has been compared with Greek olibrón, glossed by Hesychius with olisthērón "slippery," though the assumption of an Indo-European etymon *h3slib-ro-, with both *b and a laryngeal preceding a sibilant, seems questionable. Parallel to *sleipan- is a verb *sleupan- "to creep, glide," which has been explained as a secondary formation based on near-synonymous *sleuban- (see slip entry 5, sleeve). As all these bases are ultimately of phonesthemic origin and can presumably be reshaped by variation of phonesthemic origin, it is difficult to disentangle inheritance from innovation. Compare slip entry 1.

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slipper was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing slipper

Rhymes for slipper

See All Rhymes for slipper

Browse Nearby Words

slipped wing
slipper
slipper animalcule
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slipper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slipper. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

slipper

noun
slip·​per
ˈslip-ər
: a light low shoe without laces that is easily slipped on or off
slippered
-ərd
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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