Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Slur?

\Slur\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Slurred}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Slurring}.] [Cf. OE. sloor mud, clay, Icel. sl?ra, slo?ra, to trail or drag one's self along, D. sleuren, sloren, to train, to drag, to do negligently and slovenly, D. sloor, sloerie, a sluttish girl.] 1. To soil; to sully; to contaminate; to disgrace. --Cudworth. 2. To disparage; to traduce. --Tennyson. 3. To cover over; to disguise; to conceal; to pass over lightly or with little notice. With periods, points, and tropes, he slurs his crimes. --Dryden. 4. To cheat, as by sliding a die; to trick. [R.] To slur men of what they fought for. --Hudibras. 5. To pronounce indistinctly; as, to slur syllables. 6. (Mus.) To sing or perform in a smooth, gliding style; to connect smoothly in performing, as several notes or tones. --Busby. 7. (Print.) To blur or double, as an impression from type; to mackle.
\Slur\, n. 1. A mark or stain; hence, a slight reproach or disgrace; a stigma; a reproachful intimation; an innuendo. ``Gaining to his name a lasting slur.'' --South. 2. A trick played upon a person; an imposition. [R.] 3. (Mus.) A mark, thus [[upslur] or [downslur]], connecting notes that are to be sung to the same syllable, or made in one continued breath of a wind instrument, or with one stroke of a bow; a tie; a sign of legato. 4. In knitting machines, a contrivance for depressing the sinkers successively by passing over them.