slur
Pronunciation: (slûr), [key]
— v., n. slurred, slur•ring,
—v.t.
- to pass over lightly or without due mention or consideration (often fol. by over): The report slurred over her contribution to the enterprise.
- to pronounce (a syllable, word, etc.) indistinctly by combining, reducing, or omitting sounds, as in hurried or careless utterance.
- to cast aspersions on; calumniate; disparage; depreciate: The candidate was viciously slurred by his opponent.
-
- to sing to a single syllable or play without a break (two or more tones of different pitch).
- to mark with a slur.
- to smirch, sully, or stain.
—v.i.
- to read, speak, or sing hurriedly and carelessly.
—n.
- a slurred utterance or sound.
- a disparaging remark or a slight: quick to take offense at a slur.
- a blot or stain, as upon reputation: a slur on his good name.
-
- the combination of two or more tones of different pitch, sung to a single syllable or played without a break.
- a curved mark indicating this.
- a spot that is blurred or unclear as a result of paper, plate, or blanket slippage.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.