slur

«slur» in Mova's school dictionary: to speak words unclearly, so the sounds run together, for… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (a slur, slurs); verb (slur, slurs, slurred, slurring)

meaning for a pupil

1) To slur means to speak words unclearly, so the sounds run together, for example when someone is very tired, ill or drunk. tree →

2) A slur is an insult or unkind remark that damages someone's reputation, as in «a slur on his good name». tree →

3) A slur is a nasty, hurtful word used against a group of people, such as because of their race, religion or disability; using slurs is bullying and can be against the law. tree →

4) (music) A slur is a curved line over notes showing they should be played or sung smoothly together. tree →

sense in the lessons

In health and safety lessons, slurred speech can be a warning sign of a stroke, so you should get help fast (call emergency services). In PSHE lessons, pupils learn that slurs hurt people and should be reported. In music lessons, a slur is a smooth curve over notes. Phrases: «slurred speech», «a racial slur», «a slur on someone's character».

examples

• His speech was slurred because he had just woken from the operation. tree →
• Using slurs about someone's race is never OK. tree →
• The newspaper's story was a slur on her good name. tree →
• Slurred speech can be a sign of a stroke, so call for help quickly. tree →
• In music, play the notes under the slur smoothly. tree →
• The teacher told the class that slurs are a kind of bullying. tree →

note

Verb doubles the r: slurred, slurring. Countable noun: a slur, slurs. Speaking unclearly from tiredness is not the same as using a slur (an insult); the meanings are very different.

In the corpora

• In Manchester, Lettie's mum is slurring her words and stumbling at tea time, and she forgets Lettie's school play.
• Drinking too much alcohol changes how people act: slurring words, stumbling, forgetting, getting loud.
• Some words about disabled people are slurs that hurt deeply; telling a teacher is the right move.
• At pick-up, Liam-Jay's mum is stumbling and slurring.
• Shivering hard, pale skin, slurred speech and being very sleepy can be signs a person is getting dangerously cold.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «slur» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.