slam



grand slam

1. In the card game bridge, the winning of all thirteen tricks on one deal of the game. I've been playing bridge for years, but I've still never been able to make a grand slam.
2. In baseball, a homerun that is achieved when all three bases have runners on them. It looked like the home team was in for a sure loss, but a grand slam at the last minute edged them ahead of their opponents.
3. (sometimes capitalized) In sports, the winning of all major championships or tournaments in a single year, especially in tennis or golf. The young player shocked the tennis world by winning a Grand Slam in her first year at the professional level.
4. By extension, any total, sweeping victory or success. With the Ohio votes in her favor, it looks like the new president has managed a grand slam.
See also: grand, slam

slam dunk

 
1. Lit. [in basketball] a goal scored by shooting the ball down from above the rim. He was wide open and scored on an easy slam dunk.
2. Fig. an action or accomplishment that is easily done. Finishing that project with all his experience should be a slam dunk for George.
See also: dunk, slam

slam into someone or something

to crash into someone or something. The race carout of controlslammed into the stands. The bus slammed into a truck.
See also: slam

slam someone or something down

to drive or strike someone or something downward. The wrestler slammed his opponent down hard. He slammed down his opponent and injured him.
See also: down, slam

slam something down (on something)

 and slam something down (onto something)
to bang something down onto something. She slammed her fist down on the table in anger. Karen slammed down her fist onto the table.
See also: down, slam

slam the brakes on

to push on a vehicle's brakes suddenly and hard. (The can be replaced by a possessive pronoun.) The driver in front of me slammed her brakes on and I nearly ran into her. Don't slam on your brakes when the road is wet.
See also: brake, on, slam

slam the door in someone's face

 
1. Lit. to swing a door closed with force while someone is standing in the doorway. I didn't know Todd was behind me and I accidentally slammed the door in his face. Please don't slam the door in my face!
2. Fig. suddenly to withdraw an opportunity from someone. The events of the last week effectively slammed the door in my face for future employment. We slammed the door in Bill's face since he was so rude when we interviewed him.
See also: door, face, slam

grand slam

A sweeping success or total victory, as in This presentation gave us a grand slam-every buyer placed an order. This term originated in the early 1800s in the card game of whist (forerunner of contract bridge), where it refers to the taking of all thirteen tricks. It later was extended to bridge and various sports, where it has different meanings: in baseball, a home run hit with runners on all the bases, resulting in four runs for the team; in tennis, winning all four national championships in a single calendar year; in golf, winning all four major championships. In the 1990s the term was used for four related proposals presented on a ballot at once.
See also: grand, slam

slam dunk

A forceful, dramatic move, as in That indictment was a slam dunk if ever there was one. This expression is also often put as a verb, slam-dunk, meaning "make a forceful move against someone," as in This is a great chance for us to slam-dunk the opposition. The idiom comes from basketball, where it refers to a dramatic shot in which the ball is thrust into the basket from above the rim. It was transferred to other activities from about 1980 on.
See also: dunk, slam

slam down

v.
To put something down forcefully so as to produce a loud noise: I got angry and slammed down the phone. The teacher slammed a book down to get the students' attention.
See also: down, slam

slam into

v.
To hit something with force; crash into someone or something: The truck lost its brakes and slammed into the guardrail.
See also: slam

pound a beer

and pound some beers and hammer a beer and hammer some beers and slam a beer and slam some beers
tv. to drink a beer; to drink a beer fast. Let’s go down to the tavern and pound some beers.
See also: beer, pound

slam a beer

verb
See also: beer, slam

slam some beers

verb
See also: beer, slam

slam

1. tv. to criticize someone or something. The secretary was slamming the boss in one room, and the boss was slamming the secretary in another.
2. n. a criticism. Harry took another slam at the sales record the sales force had produced for the meeting.
3. tv. to drink something quickly. Bart slammed a couple of beers and left.

slam dunk

1. tv. & in. to force a basketball into the basket from above. (see also jam.) Wilbur slam dunked another one, raising the score from 108 to 110.
2. n. an act of making a basket as in sense 1 Another slam dunk and Wilbur ties the score again!
See also: dunk, slam

slam-bang

mod. wild; exciting. It was a slam-bang weekend, and I loved every minute of it.

slamming

mod. great. We had one slamming time last night.
See also: slam

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Anielaahn-YE-lahPolish
TomÀS-Catalan
HermanniHER-mahn-neeFinnish
Plamen-Bulgarian, Serbian
Zosime-Ancient Greek
Pritha-Hinduism, Bengali