slam

Etymology 1

From Middle English *slammen (not recorded), apparently from a Scandinavian source ultimately from Old Norse slæma, slœma (“to slam, swing a weapon, strike an object out of reach”), related to Old Norse slamra, slambra (“to slam”). Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål slamre (“to slam”), Swedish slamra (“to pound, beat, make a clatter, rattle”), Norwegian Nynorsk slamra (“to sway, dangle”).

verb

1. (transitive, ergative) To shut with sudden force so as to produce a shock and noise.
   Don't slam the door!
   Britain’s borders: wide open to Covid, slammed shut for people in need [title] 2021-05-19, George Monbiot, “Britain’s borders: wide open to Covid, slammed shut for people in need”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
2. (transitive, ergative) To put in or on a particular place with force and loud noise. (Often followed by a preposition such as down, against or into.)
   Don't slam that trunk down on the pavement!
   The New South Wales police commissioner has defended the officer who was filmed slamming an Indigenous boy face-first on to a pavement in Sydney, saying the officer “had a bad day”. 2020-06-03, Michael McGowan, “NSW police commissioner says officer who slammed Indigenous teen to ground ‘had a bad day’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
3. (transitive, intransitive) To strike forcefully with some implement.
   But Wolves went in front when Steven Fletcher headed in Stephen Hunt's cross and it was 2-0 when Geoffrey Mujangi Bia slammed in his first for the club. January 18, 2011, “Wolverhampton 5 - 0 Doncaster”, in BBC
4. (intransitive) To strike against suddenly and heavily.
   The boat slammed into the bank and we were almost thrown into the river.
   The 6-ton fishing boat Kuanghua 15638 was slammed by the communist vessel near the Liuchuan reefs off the coast of Chukuang and drifted toward Nanchu after the collision. 5 January 1978 [30 December 1977], “PRC Vessel Collides with ROC Fishing Boat off Matsu”, in Daily Report: Asia & Pacific, volume IV, number 3, Foreign Broadcast Information Service, →ISSN, →OCLC, page B 2
   Seven people were killed and 66 injured after a High Speed Train slammed into a stationary vehicle that had been parked across the main line by a suicidal driver. February 24 2021, Paul Stephen, “Level crossings are one of our key risk areas”, in RAIL, number 925, page 46
5. (transitive, slang) To strike and take the life of or at least incapacitate for some time.
   They want me nicked, they want me slammed 2020-04-15, Tremz (lyrics and music), “Lightwork Freestyle”
6. (transitive, sports slang) To defeat or overcome in a match.
   The Armenian football team has slammed the Turks 6–0.
7. (transitive, colloquial, originally US) To speak badly of; to criticize forcefully.
   Don't ever slam me in front of the boss like that again!
   Union leaders slammed the new proposals.
   Critics slammed the new film, calling it violent and meaningless.
   Roger Stone slammed Ivanka Trump after not getting pardoned, video shows[.] Republican operative calls Trump an ‘abortionist bitch’ in video released by film-maker who provided footage to January 6 panel[.] 2022-10-15, Martin Pengelly, “Roger Stone slammed Ivanka Trump after not getting pardoned, video shows”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
   On Twitter, United We Dream, an immigrant youth-led rights group, slammed Biden’s new policy “a racist and classist attack” on migrants. 2023-01-08, Edwin Rios, “Biden’s ‘carrot and stick’ approach to deter migrants met with anger”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
8. To compete in a poetry slam.
9. (basketball) To dunk forcefully, to slam dunk.
10. (transitive, telecommunications) To move a customer from one service provider to another without their consent.
11. (transitive) To drink off, to drink quickly.
    17 slam some go juice Big project this afternoon? In stressful situations, glucose-rich drinks improve mood and mental performance, say Dutch researchers. 2008 January–February, “70 Ways to Improve Every Day of the Week”, in Men's Health, volume 23, number 1, →ISSN, page 134
12. (transitive, intransitive, drugs, slang) To inject intravenously; shoot up.
    I mentioned earlier how many people will draw lines in the sand that they'll never cross: some won't try Tina, others will never slam. 2017, James Wharton, Something for the Weekend, Biteback Publishing
13. (transitive, sex, slang, vulgar) To perform coitus upon forcefully; to rail.
    Your bird's textin' me 'Tremzy is the man,' You be tryna call her but she's busy gettin' slammed 2015, Tremz (lyrics and music), “Sketty Bums Get Wild”
14. (informal, US) To occupy and busy with a high workload.
    For quotations using this term, see Citations:slam. And Citations:slammed.

noun

1. (countable) A sudden impact or blow.
   How many slams in an old screen door? / Depends how loud you shut it. 1981, Shel Silverstein, “How Many, How Much”, in A Light in the Attic, Harper & Row
2. (countable) The shock and noise produced by violently closing a door or other object.
3. (countable, basketball) A slam dunk.
4. (countable, tennis) One of the competitions of the yearly Grand Slam events.
5. (countable, colloquial, US) An insult.
   I don't mean this as a slam, but you can be really impatient sometimes.
   “Well,” I says, “I cal'late a body could get used to Tophet if he stayed there long enough.” ¶ She flared up; the least mite of a slam at Doctor Wool was enough to set her going. 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 5, in Mr. Pratt's Patients
6. (uncountable, UK, dialect) The yellow iron silicate produced in alum works as a waste product.
7. A poetry slam.
8. A slambook.
   Regular friendship books had a variety of variations, such as slams, crams, and decos. 2017, Mark Duffett, Fan Identities and Practices in Context: Dedicated to Music, page 194
   Pen pals also make and pass around friendship books, slams and crams. In recent years, pen pal correspondence with prison inmates has gained acceptance on the Internet. 2019, Manjit Bal, Lovingly Yours - Penpals
9. (music, uncountable) A subgenre of death metal with elements of hardcore punk focusing on midtempo rhythms, breakdowns and palm-muted riffs.

Etymology 2

Unknown and long-speculated, though perhaps at least reinforced by Etymology 1.

noun

1. (uncountable, obsolete) A type of card game, also called ruff and honours.
2. A card game, played all at once without separate turns, in which players attempt to get rid of their cards as quickly as possible according to certain rules.
3. (countable, card games) Losing or winning all the tricks in a game.
4. (countable, bridge) A bid of six (small slam) or seven (grand slam) in a suit or no trump.
5. (countable, sports) Winning all (or all but one) of the available, major or specified events in a given year or sports season.
   In the 125 Grand Prix, I. D. Fuller (4) made it a grand slam by setting the fastest time trial, winning his heat and getting the checkered flag in the final. 1955 August, “Carolina Grand Prix Benefits Crippled Children”, in American Motorcyclist, volume 9, number 8, page 21
   I have never been a fan of tennis, I'll be honest, but even I can appreciate a great tennis player when I see one, and one of the finest of all was the American champion, Andre Agassi. Agassi was at one time number one in the world. He won eight grand slam titles (including a Wimbledon title) and a gold medal in the Olympic Games. 2012, Mark Stibbe, I am Your Father: What every heart needs to know, page 178
   Musso then passed Collins and, only briefly, it looked as though there might be a Ferrari grand slam. 2014, Anthony Pritchard, Grand Prix Ferrari: The Years of Enzo Ferrari’s Power, 1948-1980

verb

1. (transitive, card games) To defeat (opponents at cards) by winning all the tricks of a deal or a hand.
   D having seven Spades in his Hand wins them, and consequently slams A and B 1742, Edmond Hoyle, A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist
2. (intransitive, bridge) To make a slam bid.

Etymology 3

Compare Dutch slomp, German Schlampe.

noun

1. (obsolete) A shambling fellow.