slug
UK[slʌɡ]US[slʌɡ]
n
Definition 1: a small, soft creature with a slimy body, no shell, and two pairs of feelers, that moves very slowly and often eats garden plants.
n
Definition 2: a bullet.
n
Definition 3: a single drink of an alcoholic beverage.
n
Definition 4: a line of type in printing, or a short phrase identifying a story in a newspaper.
v
Definition 5: to hit someone hard, especially with the fist.
v
Definition 6: to work or move slowly and with difficulty.
Etymology
The word 'slug' entered Middle English from Scandinavian sources, akin to the Norwegian dialect word 'slugge', meaning a heavy, lazy person. This origin reflects the creature's characteristically slow and sluggish movement. The semantic connection to a bullet, first recorded in the 17th century, likely derives from the bullet's shape and weight, reminiscent of a small metal slug. From this, the meaning extended to a unit of drink (a 'shot'), a line of printer's type, and finally to the verb meaning 'to strike heavily', completing a chain of associations based on shape, impact, and measured quantity.
Analysis
The word 'slug' is a simplex word of Scandinavian origin. It is not productively composed of smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern English.
Examples
The gardener found a large slug eating the lettuce leaves.
He was hit by a stray slug during the gang fight.
After a long day, he took a slug of whiskey from the bottle.