slo-mo
UK[ˈsləʊ məʊ]US[ˈsloʊ moʊ]
n
A technique in film or video where action appears to happen much more slowly than in real life.
Etymology
The term "slo-mo" is a modern English colloquial clipping, originating in the mid-20th century from the film industry phrase "slow motion." It is a straightforward portmanteau where "slow" is abbreviated to "slo-" and "motion" to "-mo." This truncation follows a common pattern in informal English for creating catchy, efficient jargon. The logic is entirely transparent, directly preserving the core concept of its source phrase to denote the visual effect of slowed-down movement.
Analysis
This is a clipped compound formed from the English words "slow" and "motion." It functions as a single lexical unit.
Examples
The director used slo-mo to capture every detail of the dancer's leap.
Replay the goal in slo-mo to see if it was offside.
The dramatic fall was filmed in beautiful slo-mo.