slug1
n.
- a tough-skinned terrestrial mollusc which lacks a shell and secretes a film of mucus for protection.
[Order Stylommatophora.]
- an amount of an alcoholic drink that is gulped or poured.
- an elongated, typically rounded piece of metal.
▸chiefly N. Amer. a bullet.
- a line of type in Linotype printing.
v.
(slugs, slugging, slugged)
gulp (something, typically alcohol).
Etymology
ME (in the sense ‘sluggard’): prob. of Scand. origin.
slug2
v.
(slugs, slugging, slugged)
strike with a hard blow.
▸
(slug it out)
settle a dispute or contest by fighting or competing fiercely.
n.
a hard blow.
Derivative
Etymology
C19: of unknown origin; cf. slog.