English word origin

Etymology of slush

May be a variant of sludge or imitative like slosh. Perhaps a confluence of both influences.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗

noun

Half-melted snow or ice, generally located on the ground. · Liquid mud or mire. · Flavored shaved ice served as a drink (a slushie). · A soft mixture of grease and other materials, used for lubrication.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

May be a variant of sludge or imitative like slosh. Perhaps a confluence of both influences.

This page abbreviates 3 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "onomatopoeic",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "title": "imitative"
      },
      "expansion": "imitative"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "sludge",
      "sludge#English"
    ],
    [
      "slosh",
      "slosh#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "word": "slush",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Half-melted snow or ice, generally located on the ground.",
        "Liquid mud or mire.",
        "Flavored shaved ice served as a drink (a slushie).",
        "A soft mixture of grease and other materials, used for lubrication."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable",
        "usually"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "0f710d226b2dc72829a757fdf5fc2e4a4be1b3ab3c3ffebfe5ccf17fff969517",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 466464
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 3,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

verb

To smear with slushy liquid or grease. · To slosh or splash; to move as, or through, a slushy or liquid substance. · To paint with a mixture of white lead and lime.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

May be a variant of sludge or imitative like slosh. Perhaps a confluence of both influences.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "onomatopoeic",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "title": "imitative"
      },
      "expansion": "imitative"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "sludge",
      "sludge#English"
    ],
    [
      "slosh",
      "slosh#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To smear with slushy liquid or grease.",
        "To slosh or splash; to move as, or through, a slushy or liquid substance.",
        "To paint with a mixture of white lead and lime."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "a5a0da342fd83b544c9071f6855d750f972af33cb37008c4730e6e538602cb90",
      "rawRecordSha256": "a0fe1fd6fba2421c79a64765ed84931c6ac16634d6e965860cd69d6e5435c2fa",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 466465
    }
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for slush →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-c2x1c2g