slab

slab — noun

1. a flat, rectangular mass of a hard substance that is noticeably thicker than a s

1.nounB2
Definition

a flat, rectangular mass of a hard substance that is noticeably thicker than a sheet or tile

Example

Workers lifted the heavy concrete slab into place to form the new patio.

concrete slab for building surfaces

The butcher cut the salmon into thick slabs and wrapped each portion.

slab + of fish/meat for food portions

Common collocations
  • concrete slab
  • stone slab
  • marble slab
  • slab of meat
  • slab of chocolate
  • paving slab
  • slab foundation
Synonyms
  • block

    a solid piece that is usually cube-shaped rather than flat

  • slice

    a thin, flat piece, especially of food; much thinner than a slab

  • plate

    a thin, flat sheet of metal, glass, or similar material

  • plank

    a long, flat piece of timber, typically narrower than a slab

Antonyms
  • chip

    a very small, thin piece broken off a larger object

  • crumb

    a tiny broken fragment, opposite in scale to a slab

Grammar Patterns

a slab of [material]

Usage Note

Countable noun. Commonly used with "of" followed by the material name: a slab of concrete, a slab of marble, a slab of cheese.

Common Mistakes

The path was made of concrete slice.
The path was made of concrete slab.
A slice is thin and cut from something soft or edible; a slab is thick and made from a hard material.

slab — verb

slab — adjective

Word family

  • slabbed
    adjectiveC1
  • slabbing
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Slab, plate, slice, and block all refer to pieces of material, but they differ in thickness, shape, and typical use. A slab is a thick, flat, roughly rectangular piece of a hard material such as stone, concrete, or wood — used for building surfaces, countertops, or large food portions. A plate is a thin, flat sheet of metal, glass, or similar material, emphasizing flatness rather than thickness. A slice is a thin piece cut from a larger whole, most commonly used for food (bread, cheese, meat) and always implies a cut from something bigger. A block is a solid piece that is usually thick in all three dimensions — more cube-like than flat. For example: a stonemason works with a slab of granite (flat and wide), but a sculptor carves a block of marble (deep and solid). A builder uses a steel plate (thin) to reinforce a joint, while a chef cuts a slice of cake (thin and portioned) from the whole dessert.

slab ↗plate ↗slice ↗block ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • concrete slab
  • stone slab
  • marble slab
  • paving slab
  • slab foundation
  • slab roof

Adverbs

  • thickly slabbed
  • roughly slabbed

Phrases

  • a slab of something
  • in one solid slab
  • slab by slab

Prepositions

  • slab of
  • slab with
  • slab onto

Etymology

Middle EnglishOld NorseEnglish

The word 'slab' first appeared in English around the 1300s, meaning a thick flat piece of stone or wood. Its exact origin is uncertain — it may come from Middle English 'slabbe' meaning a muddy or sludgy substance, which later shifted to refer to flat pieces of material. An alternative theory traces it to Old Norse or Middle Dutch words for 'slip' or 'slime.' By the 1600s, 'slab' was also being used as an adjective meaning thick and sticky, and the verb forms developed during the industrial era as stoneworking and timber-processing tools became widespread.