Meaning & use
slice
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Meanings
nouncountable
A thin, flat piece cut from something larger, especially food.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a slice, two slices, a slice of bread.
Patterns
- a slice of something
- cut something into slices
She cut a thick slice of bread for the sandwich.
The cake was so rich that I could only eat one small slice.
He added two slices of lemon to his tea.
nouncountablefigurative
A part or share of something larger, such as money, time, or a market.
Grammar: Often used with 'of': a slice of the profits. Usually singular in this sense.
Patterns
- a slice of something
- a slice of the pie
The company wants a bigger slice of the smartphone market.
Workers demanded a fair slice of the profits.
Everyone expected a slice of the inheritance.
verbtransitive
To cut something into thin, flat pieces with a sharp blade.
Grammar: Takes an object: slice the bread. Can also be intransitive when talking about cutting: the knife sliced through easily.
Patterns
- slice something
- slice something into pieces
- slice through something
Please slice the tomatoes thinly for the salad.
He sliced the loaf into even pieces.
The knife sliced through the ripe cheese without sticking.
verbtransitive or intransitivesport
In sports, to hit a ball so that it curves or spins away from a straight path.
Grammar: Can take an object (slice the ball) or be used without one (the ball sliced to the right).
Patterns
- slice the ball
- slice a shot
He sliced his drive into the trees on the right.
The golfer's shot sliced badly and landed in the rough.
She tried to slice the tennis ball past her opponent.
Word forms
| plural | slices |
|---|---|
| third person singular | slices |
| past tense | sliced |
| past participle | sliced |
| -ing form | slicing |
Common combinations
- a slice of bread
- He put a slice of bread in the toaster.
- a slice of cake
- Would you like a slice of cake with your tea?
- cut something into slices
- Cut the cucumber into thin slices.
- a slice of the pie
- The startup is fighting for a slice of the pie.
- slice through something
- The boat sliced through the calm water.
Synonyms and how they differ
- piece
- A general word for a part of something; 'slice' specifically suggests a thin, flat cut, especially of food.
- portion
- Often refers to an amount of food for one person; a slice is a shape cut from a larger item, not necessarily a serving.
- cut
- A less common noun meaning a piece of meat; 'slice' is more general and used for bread, cake, fruit, etc.
Word family
Commonly confused: slice or sliver? slice or splice?
slice vs sliver
A sliver is a very thin, often irregular piece that has broken or split off, while a slice is a neat, flat piece cut deliberately.
slice vs splice
Splice means to join two things together, especially ropes or film; it sounds similar to slice but has almost the opposite meaning.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The verb 'slice' means to cut into pieces, so 'pieces' is the natural object. 'Slices' is also possible but less natural after 'into thin pieces'; 'slice' as a singular noun after 'thin' is ungrammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “slice”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.