noun / verb

slash

SLASH/slæʃ/

A sweeping sharp cut.

A man slashes through a taut sheet of canvas with a machete.

A man forcefully slashes through a taut, upright sheet of coarse canvas with a machete, leaving one long diagonal gash.

Etymology

Slash first described cutting motions with a blade or whip, closely matching the sweeping action of this sense. It may come from French esclachier, “to break,” but that ancestry is uncertain.

In context

Kevin Goat Self Defense0:16

I'm trying to use my forearms to protect my vital organs. So, I'm here. I'm tucking in tight. You can see he's trying to slash.

Knife Slash Attack Self Defense

More examples

One slash of the blade severs the rope.
A long slash in the tent lets rain drip inside.
She slashed through the thick vines to clear a path.

Forms

slash · slashes · slashed · slashing

Similar words

cut: A general term that does not imply a sweeping motion.
gash: Emphasizes a deep, open wound rather than the cutting motion.
slice: Usually suggests a smoother, more controlled cut than a slash.