slice
slice — noun
1. a flat piece that you cut from a bigger piece of food such as bread, cake, meat,
a flat piece that you cut from a bigger piece of food such as bread, cake, meat, or cheese — usually of a similar thickness all the way across
Liam cut himself a thick slice of the warm bread.
collocation: a slice of bread / a slice of cake
Could you put another slice of cheese on my sandwich?
The cake was so large that each child received two slices.
countable: two slices / three slices
Yara carefully picked up a slice of pizza with her napkin.
A thin slice of lemon floated at the top of her tea.
adjective + slice: thin slice / thick slice
- slice of bread
- slice of cake
- slice of pizza
- slice of cheese
- slice of lemon
- thick slice
- thin slice
- cut a slice
Grammar Patterns
a slice of + noun
adjective + slice
Usage Note
Frequently paired with 'of' to specify the food type. The adjective 'thin' vs 'thick' distinguishes the width.
Common Mistakes
2. the part of an available sum — such as profits, a budget, or winnings — that bel
the part of an available sum — such as profits, a budget, or winnings — that belongs to a particular person or group
The director demanded a larger slice of the project budget.
collocation: a slice of the budget / a slice of the profits
Each partner received an equal slice of the company earnings.
Rohan felt that he deserved a bigger slice of the inheritance.
Education takes the biggest slice of the national budget each year.
collocation: biggest slice / larger slice
The band argued over their slice of the ticket sales.
- slice of the profits
- slice of the budget
- biggest slice
- larger slice
- fair slice
- equal slice
Grammar Patterns
a slice of + noun (money/benefits/profits)
Usage Note
Usually followed by 'of' + the resource being divided. Often appears with a comparative adjective (bigger, larger, smaller).
Common Mistakes
3. a flat-bladed kitchen implement for picking up and moving food items such as cak
a flat-bladed kitchen implement for picking up and moving food items such as cake, cooked fish, or pie from one dish to another
Gabriel used a fish slice to lift the salmon onto a plate.
compound noun: fish slice
The cake slice has a curved blade that makes serving easy.
compound noun: cake slice
Could you pass me the slice so I can serve the pie?
Marta washed the slice under hot water and dried it with a cloth.
- cake slice
- fish slice
- pie slice
Grammar Patterns
noun + slice (compound)
Usage Note
Often appears in compound nouns like 'cake slice,' 'fish slice,' or 'pie slice' where the first word names the food typically served with that tool.
4. in tennis and similar racket sports, a shot in which you hit underneath the ball
in tennis and similar racket sports, a shot in which you hit underneath the ball to make it travel with backspin so that it stays low after it bounces
Yumi used a backhand slice to keep the ball low over the net.
sports term: backhand slice
His slice was so well placed that the opponent could not return it.
The coach taught the class how to perform a proper tennis slice.
A well-timed slice can slow down the pace of a fast rally.
collocation: well-timed slice
- backhand slice
- forehand slice
- well-timed slice
- play a slice
Grammar Patterns
a slice
backhand slice
Usage Note
Distinguish from noun sense 5: the tennis slice produces backspin and keeps the ball low, while the golf/baseball slice describes a ball curving sideways.
5. in golf or baseball, a stroke that sends the ball curving sideways off its strai
in golf or baseball, a stroke that sends the ball curving sideways off its straight path — an error in golf where the ball drifts rightward for a right-handed player
Esteban's slice sent the golf ball deep into the trees on the right.
sports term: golf slice
The batter's slice carried the baseball just past the first baseman.
A slice usually happens when the clubface is open at the moment of impact.
Obi spent an afternoon at the driving range trying to fix his slice.
collocation: fix a slice
- golf slice
- fix a slice
- hit a slice
- slice shot
Grammar Patterns
a slice
hit a slice
Usage Note
For right-handed golfers, a slice bends to the right; for left-handed golfers, it bends to the left. In baseball, a slice can be a useful hitting technique.
A part or role in an exciting or profitable activity.
Maya wants a slice of the action in the new tech startup.
When the project became popular, everyone wanted a piece of the action.
a slice of life
idiomA realistic representation of everyday life in a story or film.
The movie offers a touching slice of life in a small village.
Her novel is a slice of life set in modern Tokyo.
A portion of money or benefits that someone believes they deserve.
Each department wants a larger slice of the pie this year.
Small businesses struggle to get a share of the pie from big corporations.
slice — verb
1. to cut food such as bread, meat, or vegetables into flat pieces of roughly the s
to cut food such as bread, meat, or vegetables into flat pieces of roughly the same thickness using a knife
Could you slice the bread before the guests arrive?
transitive: slice + bread as object
Benjamin sliced the cucumber into thin rounds for the salad.
pattern: slice + object + into + pieces
This machine can slice a hundred loaves of bread in one minute.
Tariro sliced the meat and placed the pieces on a serving dish.
Adina sliced the cake carefully so that each piece was the same size.
pattern: slice + cake / slice + meat / slice + vegetables
- slice bread
- slice meat
- slice vegetables
- slice cake
- slice thinly
- slice thickly
- slice into rounds
Grammar Patterns
slice + food noun as object
slice + object + into + pieces
Usage Note
Commonly takes food nouns as direct objects. The result can be specified with 'into': 'slice the bread into thick pieces' or 'slice the apple into wedges.'
2. to move through a material easily with a sharp cutting edge, or to cut something
to move through a material easily with a sharp cutting edge, or to cut something cleanly without effort
The sharp knife sliced through the ripe tomato without any effort.
intransitive: slice through + object
A good Japanese chef's knife can slice through a sheet of paper.
The boat bow sliced the calm surface of the lake as it moved forward.
figurative use: boat slicing through water
Her blade sliced cleanly through the thick rope in one quick motion.
- slice through
- slice cleanly
- slice easily
- knife slices through
- cut through
more general; lacks the implication of effortless motion
- penetrate
more formal and technical, used for deeper entry into a material
Grammar Patterns
slice through + object
slice + object (clean cut)
Usage Note
This sense focuses on the ease or cleanness of the cut. The object can be a physical material (tomato, paper, rope) or, figuratively, water or air. 'Slice through' is the most common intransitive pattern.
Common Mistakes
3. in golf or baseball, to strike a ball in a way that makes it curve sideways inst
in golf or baseball, to strike a ball in a way that makes it curve sideways instead of going straight — for a right-handed golfer the curve goes rightward
Gabriel sliced the golf ball into the bunker on the right.
transitive: slice + ball as object (golf)
The batter sliced the pitch into the outfield gap for a double.
baseball context: batter slices a pitch
Élise sliced her drive and the ball curved away from the fairway.
A right-handed golfer who slices the ball will see it bend to the right.
- slice the ball
- slice a drive
- slice a pitch
Grammar Patterns
slice + ball as object
Usage Note
Distinguish from verb sense 4 (tennis slice). In golf and baseball, 'slice' means the ball curves sideways; in tennis, it means the ball has backspin and stays low. In golf, a slice is usually unintentional and considered a fault.
4. in tennis and similar racket sports, to hit a ball by moving the racket undernea
in tennis and similar racket sports, to hit a ball by moving the racket underneath it, producing backspin that makes the ball stay low after it bounces
Ari sliced the ball low across the net and caught the opponent off guard.
transitive: slice + ball (tennis shot)
Anong prefers to slice her backhand rather than hit it with topspin.
The professional sliced every return to keep the rally slow.
To slice the ball effectively, you need to open the racket face at contact.
instructional: how to slice in tennis
- slice the ball
- slice a backhand
- slice a return
- slice low
Grammar Patterns
slice + ball as object
slice + backhand / forehand
Usage Note
Commonly used with 'backhand' or 'forehand' to specify which side the shot is played from. The tennis slice is often a defensive shot used to change the pace of a rally.
Word family
- slicedadjectiveB1
- slicernounB2
- slicingnounB1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four words describe a part of something larger, but they differ in shape and typical usage. 'Piece' is the broadest term — any part of anything can be a piece, with no fixed shape or size. 'Slice' specifically means a flat piece cut from a larger item, typically food, and implies a uniform thickness: a slice of bread, a slice of melon. 'Chunk' refers to a thick, irregularly shaped piece that is usually larger and less tidy than a slice: a chunk of cheese, a chunk of wood. 'Wedge' is a triangular piece, often cut from round or pie-shaped foods: a wedge of lemon, a wedge of cheese. 'Portion' is defined by function rather than shape — it is the amount given to or intended for one person: a portion of fries, a generous portion of cake. Choosing the right word depends on whether you want to emphasise shape (slice, wedge), size (chunk), or function (portion).
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'slice' came into English from Old French 'esclice,' which meant a splinter or a piece that splits off. That French word came from a Germanic root meaning 'to split' — the same root that gave English the word 'slit.' This history still connects to the modern meaning of cutting something into separate flat pieces.