A messy word for spilled wet matter and poor food, later extended to worthless media, sugary sentiment, farm feeding, muddy movement, and historical clothing.
A loose garment, or in the plural, old-fashioned ready-made clothing, sailors' stores, or wide breeches.
Examples
The sailor drew fresh slops from the ship's stores.
The portrait shows a man wearing wide slops.
A coarse slop hung over the worker's shirt.
The slop-shop sold cheap slops near the docks.
The costume notes describe the breeches as slops.
Similar words
smock
overall
breeches
garment
clothing
stores
Etymology
The wet-mess noun is of uncertain origin, probably tied to old words for mud, dung, or slime. The clothing sense goes back to Middle English and Old English words for a loose outer garment. The verb grew from the wet noun, while the modern media insult extends the older idea of worthless or unpleasant stuff.
FAQ
What does slop mean?
Slop can mean spilled liquid, mud, watery bad food, food waste, worthless content, sentimental gush, or old-fashioned loose clothing.
What is AI slop?
AI slop is low-quality digital content, often made quickly and in quantity with generative AI.
Is slop a verb?
Yes. Slop can mean to spill or splash liquid, feed animals with swill, or move through mud or slush.
What is the difference between slop and slops?
Slop is often a mass noun for wet mess or bad food. Slops often means liquid waste, and historically it can mean clothing.
Is slop insulting?
It is insulting when used for food, writing, media, or products, because it suggests something cheap, careless, or worthless.
Where does slop come from?
The wet-mess noun has an uncertain history linked to mud or slime, while the clothing sense comes from older words for loose garments.
Comments & contributions
Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.