• enPR: slā, IPA: /sleɪ/

slay (slays, present participle slaying; past slew, past participle slain)

1. (now literary) To kill, murder.

   The knight slew the dragon.

   Our foes must all be slain.

   • 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “[The Historie of Englande.]”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: Imprinted [by Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Harrison, OCLC 55195564 ↗, page 26 ↗, columns 1–2:

     In the meane time it chaunced, that Marcus Papyrius ſtroke one of the Galles on the heade with his ſtaffe, because he preſumed to ſtroke his bearde: with whiche iniurie the Gaulle beeing prouoked, ſlue Papyrius (as he ſate) with hys ſworde, and therewith the ſlaughter being begun with one, all the reſidue of thoſe auncient fatherly men as they ſat in theyr Chayres were ſlaine and cruelly murthered.

   • c. 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act II scene i:

     smallcaps The Prince of Morocco:

     […] By this scimitar,

     That slew the Sophy and a Persian prince

     That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,

     I would outstare the sternest eyes that look,

     Outbrave the heart most daring on earth,

     Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she-bear,

     Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey,

     To win thee, lady. […]

2. (literary) To eradicate or stamp out.

   You must slay these thoughts.

3. (by extension, hyperbolic, colloquial) To defeat, overcome (in a competition or contest).
   • 1956, “Giants Slay Bears in Pro Title Battle”, in Lodi News-Sentinel, 1956 December 31, [http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WSMzAAAAIBAJ&pg=5705,7365754&dq=slay page 8].
   • 1985, “Redskins slay Giants; Thiesmann shatters leg”, in The Gadsden Times, 1985 November 19, [http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2cIfAAAAIBAJ&pg=2781,3776224&dq=slay page D1-5].
   • 1993, Jack Curry, “Yanks’ Bullpen Falls Short Again ↗”, in The New York Times, 1993 April 21:

     The Yankees were actually slayed by two former Yankees because Rich Gossage pitched one scoreless inning in relief of Eckersley to notch his first victory.

4. (slang) To delight or overwhelm, especially with laughter.

   Ha ha! You slay me!

5. (slang, ambitransitive) To amaze, stun or otherwise incapacitate by awesomeness; to be awesome at something; to kill qual slang sense.
6. (slang) to have sex with
   • 2015 Sexual Harassment in Education and Work Settings: Current Research and Best Practices for Prevention: Current Research and Best Practices for Prevention ↗

     The Online Slang Dictionary offers nearly 200 words referring to sexual intercourse. Many of the terms and phrases connote violence, such as: “bang,” “beat,” “chopped up,” “cut,” “hit,” “hit raw,” “hit that,” “kick it,” “nail,” “pound,” “ram,” “slap and tickle,” “slay,” “smack,” “smash,” and “spank”

• (to kill, murder) kill, murder, assassinate; see also Thesaurus:kill
• (to defeat, overcome) conquer, defeat, overcome
• (to overwhelm or delight) kill, hit it out of the park
• (have sex with) coitize, go to bed with, sleep with; see also Thesaurus:copulate with

• onslaught
• slaughter
• self-slaughter

• French: tuer, assassiner, occire
• German: töten, umbringen, erschlagen
• Italian: uccidere, assassinare
• Portuguese: matar, assassinar
• Russian: (perfective) уби́ть
• Spanish: matar, asesinar

1. Surname