slipper

1 of 2

noun

slip·​per ˈsli-pər How to pronounce slipper (audio)
: a light low-cut shoe that is easily slipped on the foot
slippered
ˈsli-pərd How to pronounce slipper (audio)
adjective

slipper

2 of 2

adjective

chiefly dialectal
: slippery

Examples of slipper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The hybrid shoe looks like a pretty suede flat but is lined by ultra soft fluff that gives it a cozy slipper feel. — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 28 Oct. 2026 For the homebody on your list, these Ugg slippers offer a sleek take on the brand’s famously fluffy styles. — Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026 That’s, like, half of what Heather pays for house slippers — that is a single designer slipper. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 The style-centric walking tour winds through the city, stopping at a selection of must-visit Milanese shops selling everything from gourmet foods to velvet slippers and handmade pajamas. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slipper

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English slypper, from slippen "to slip entry 1" + -er -er entry 2

Adjective

Middle English slipir, sliper "causing something to slide or slip, deceitful," going back to Old English slipor, sliper, going back to Germanic *slip-ra- (whence also Old High German sleffar "sloping downward"), adjective derivative from the base of Germanic *sleipan- (strong verb) "to slide, slip" (whence Middle Dutch slīpen "to smooth, polish, sharpen," Middle Low German, "to glide, sink, slip," Old High German slīfan "to slide, pass away, decline"), of uncertain origin

Note: The adjective slipper has been effectively replaced by its derivative slippery, though the former was in existence in dialect late enough to be noticed by the Survey of English Dialects, which recorded it in Devon and Cornwall (see Survey of English Dialects: The Dictionary and Grammar, Routledge, 1994, s.v.). — The Germanic verb has been compared with Greek olibrón, glossed by Hesychius with olisthērón "slippery," though the assumption of an Indo-European etymon *h3slib-ro-, with both *b and a laryngeal preceding a sibilant, seems questionable. Parallel to *sleipan- is a verb *sleupan- "to creep, glide," which has been explained as a secondary formation based on near-synonymous *sleuban- (see slip entry 5, sleeve). As all these bases are ultimately of phonesthemic origin and can presumably be reshaped by variation of phonesthemic origin, it is difficult to disentangle inheritance from innovation. Compare slip entry 1.

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slipper was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing slipper

Rhymes for slipper

See All Rhymes for slipper

Browse Nearby Words

slipped wing
slipper
slipper animalcule
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Cite this Entry

“Slipper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slipper. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

slipper

noun
slip·​per
ˈslip-ər
: a light low shoe without laces that is easily slipped on or off
slippered
-ərd
adjective
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