slang

Etymology 1

1756, meaning "special vocabulary of tramps or thieves", origin unknown. Possibly derived from a North Germanic source, related to Norwegian Nynorsk slengenamn (“nickname”), slengja kjeften (“to abuse verbally”, literally “to sling one's jaw”), related to Icelandic slengja (“to sling, throw, hurl”), Old Norse slyngva (“to sling”). Not believed to be connected with language or lingo.

noun

1. Language outside of conventional usage and in the informal register.
   English-speaking Australians have always had a love affair with slang. 1996, James Lambert, The Macquarie Book of Slang, Sydney: Macquarie Library, page v
2. Language that is unique to a particular profession or subject; jargon.
3. The specialized language of a social group, sometimes used to conceal one's meaning from outsiders; cant.
4. (countable) A particular variety of slang; the slang used by a particular group.
   [F]or a detailed analysis see Liberman (2008 157ff) who sees it as one of a number of terms found in pan-European slangs meaning concealment and/or cheating. 2023, Jonathon Green, Green’s Dictionary of Slang
5. (countable) An item of slang; a slang word or expression.
   Anyway, I have learned many slangs while I am in New York, and one of them, a remarkable slang, is sheister. 1921, Horace Fish, The Great Way: A Story of the Joyful, the Sorrowful, the Glorious, New York: Mitchell Kennerley
   The internet comes up with so many slangs used by people to survive in the online world. Many of those slangs are in the form of abbreviations, for instance, the word "u" which refers to "you"[.] 2019, Hendi Pratama, Linguistic Politeness in Online Communication, Semarang: LPPS Unnes
6. (India) A curse word.
   Such attempts were made even more aggressive by the fact that these local women were known for picking fights easily and using slangs to verbally abuse their neighbours. 2021, Sadan Jha, Dev Nath Pathak, Amiya Kumar Das, Neighbourhoods in Urban India: In Between Home and the City, page 82

verb

1. (transitive, dated) To vocally abuse, or shout at.
   Also, he had to keep his temper when he was slanged in the theatre porch by a policeman. 1888, Rudyard Kipling, “Miss Youghal's Sais”, in Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio Society, published 2007, page 26
   Stephen feared that he would yell louder, and was hostile. But they made friends and treated each other, and slanged the proprietor and ragged the pretty girls … 1907, E.M. Forster, The Longest Journey, Part I, XII [Uniform ed., p. 130]

Etymology 2

verb

1. (archaic) simple past of sling
   Before he slang the all-deciding stone[…] 1836, Edward Bagnall, Saul and David

Etymology 3

noun

1. (UK, dialect) Any long, narrow piece of land; a promontory.

Etymology 4

Compare sling.

noun

1. (UK, obsolete) A fetter worn on the leg by a convict.
2. (UK, obsolete, slang) A counterfeit weight or measure.
3. (UK, obsolete, slang) A travelling show, or one of its performances.
4. (UK, obsolete, slang) A hawker's license.
5. (UK, obsolete, slang) A watchchain.

Etymology 5

The same as sling which is also used in this sense. The vowel exhibits the lowering of /ɪ/ before /ŋ/ distinguishing for African American Vernacular English, as in thang for thing, but the word has spread with this pronunciation outside the accents that exhibit this feature.

verb

1. (transitive, African-American Vernacular, MLE) To sell (something, especially illegal drugs).
   Everyday I wake up gotta get back to the gwop 2014, “Bail Out”, Cdai (lyrics), performed by RondoNumbaNine ft. Cdai
   Whip, whip in the trap do up kitchen that's food (that's food) Cookin up grub Fuck, these niggas cookin up soup (uhhhhh) Slang the crack or the black Put the light and dark on the move Gold and brown and cute Gyal love me and I love them too (too) 2016, “Call Me A Spartan”, TG Millian (lyrics), performed by Harlem Spartans (Blanco, Zico, Bis, TG Millian, MizorMac)
   Bro I’m booky, I’ll take your food if my belly starts rumbling They rap about bootings, they ain’t blammed nobody Hold that properly when I bang that dotty I put sniff in a rex, and I slang that bobby 2017, “Next Up?”, Digga D (lyrics), performed by 1011 (Digga D x Sav'O x T.Y)
   Bro is in the kitchen, know he can’t cook He is whipping shit that we use to slang This fat prick wanna chat on YouTube still had to cheat to deny he’s gang 18-10-2019, “Feed' Em”performed by #SG Jibbzy, 1:17–1:23