slur

Noun · Verb
Synonyms: aspersionsmudgespotblotdaubsmearsmirchblurdim

WordNet 3.0

Noun (3)

  1. (music) a curved line spanning notes that are to be played legato
  2. a disparaging remark“in the 19th century any reference to female sexuality was considered a vile aspersion”“it is difficult for a woman to understand a man's sensitivity to any slur on his virility”Synonyms: aspersion
  3. a blemish made by dirt“he had a smudge on his cheek”Synonyms: smudgespotblotdaubsmearsmirch

Verb (4)

  1. play smoothly or legato“the pianist slurred the most beautiful passage in the sonata”
  2. speak disparagingly of; e.g., make a racial slur“your comments are slurring your co-workers”
  3. utter indistinctly
  4. become vague or indistinct“The distinction between the two theories blurred”Synonyms: blurdim
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Slur \Slur\, n.

1.A mark or stain; hence, a slight reproach or disgrace; a stigma; a reproachful intimation; an innuendo. "Gaining to his name a lasting slur." --South. [1913 Webster]

2.A trick played upon a person; an imposition. [R.] [1913 Webster]

3.(Mus.) A mark, thus [[upslur] or [downslur]], connecting notes that are to be sung to the same syllable, or made in one continued breath of a wind instrument, or with one stroke of a bow; a tie; a sign of legato. [1913 Webster]

4.In knitting machines, a contrivance for depressing the sinkers successively by passing over them. [1913 Webster]

Slur \Slur\ (sl[^u]r), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slurred (sl[^u]rd); p. pr. & vb. n. Slurring (sl[^u]r"r[i^]ng).] [Cf. OE. sloor mud, clay, Icel. sl[=o]ra, slo[eth]ra, to trail or drag one's self along, D. sleuren, sloren, to train, to drag, to do negligently and slovenly, D. sloor, sloerie, a sluttish girl.]

1.To soil; to sully; to contaminate; to disgrace. --Cudworth. [1913 Webster]

2.To disparage; to traduce. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]

3.To cover over; to disguise; to conceal; to pass over lightly or with little notice. [1913 Webster]

With periods, points, and tropes, he slurs his crimes.— Dryden.[1913 Webster]

4.To cheat, as by sliding a die; to trick. [R.] [1913 Webster]

To slur men of what they fought for.— Hudibras.[1913 Webster]

5.To pronounce indistinctly; as, to slur syllables; to slur one's words. [1913 Webster]

6.(Mus.) To sing or perform in a smooth, gliding style; to connect smoothly in performing, as several notes or tones. --Busby. [1913 Webster]

7.(Print.) To blur or double, as an impression from type; to mackle. [1913 Webster]

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