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slith·er

(slĭthər)

intr.v. slith·ered, slith·er·ing, slith·ers

1. To move or slide by twisting or undulating the body over a surface, as in the manner of a snake.

2. To walk with a sliding or shuffling gait: slithered over to the window.

3. To slip and slide, as on a loose or uneven surface: "We went slithering down the muddy rocks to sea level" (Jane Rodgers).

A slithering movement or gait.

[Middle English slethren, variant of sliddren, from Old English slidrian, frequentative of slīdan, to slide.]

slither·y adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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